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1 1 (September 22, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/ukyjsgt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional *aResearch Service Armed Forces Compensation During a Lapse in Appropriations Updated September 22, 2025 Compensation for members of the Armed Forces (i.e., Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard) is funded through annual appropriations to personnel-related line items in accounts of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), which is using Department of War as a secondary title under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These accounts include funding for pay and allowances of active and reserve component members, along with travel-related expenses. In anticipation of, or during, previous lapses in appropriations, Congress has considered actions to ensure that certain members of the Armed Forces continue to receive pay and benefits. Since 2013, two lapses in appropriations affecting DOD and DHS generated particular congressional interest in Armed Forces compensation. In FY2014, a lapse in appropriations resulted in a shutdown of numerous government operations for 16 days, affecting both DOD and DHS. In FY2019, while DOD was not affected by a partial government shutdown, DHS-and thus the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)-was among the entities affected by a 35-day lapse in appropriations. Although military retirement is partially funded through annual appropriations, retired pay and survivor benefits are distributed from the Military Retirement Fund. As such, retirees and survivor benefit plan beneficiaries generally continue to receive disbursements during a lapse in appropriations. Selected Lapses in Appropriations FY2014 Immediately preceding the FY2014 shutdown that affected DOD, on September 30, 2013, then-President Barack Obama signed the Pay Our Military Act (POMA; P.L. 113-39). This legislation provided an automatic continuing resolution (ACR) to cover FY2014 pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including reservists on federal active duty, as well as certain DOD and DHS civilian personnel and contractors supporting military personnel. Section 3 of the POMA contained a termination provision, and the law is no longer in effect. In subsequent years, some Members have introduced similar legislation, such as the Pay Our Military Act of 2018 (H.R. 4871; S. 2328). Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12244 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress