Congress Continues Infighting - CWOAUSCG Presses for Pay

By Aniela Szymanski, Chief Policy Officer

​Congress faces a looming deadline to pass funding bills or risk a government shutdown, prompting efforts by organizations like CWOAUSCG to advocate for legislation ensuring Coast Guard members' pay during potential shutdowns.

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While Congress continues to have deep divisions regarding government funding moving forward, a March 8 deadline is around the corner for Congress to either pass funding bills, a continuing resolution, or a government shutdown will occur. The government has been without fiscal year funding for four months now, and it is starting to look like the odds of passing the funding are growing slimmer by the day. 

While a continuing resolution would permit Coast Guard members to receive pay, a government shutdown would not. That is why CWOAUSCG has been pressing for Congress to pass legislation to ensure that Coast Guard members continue to receive pay during any potential government shutdown. 

Within the last two weeks, CWOAUSCG has sent letters to every member of the Senate, asking for them to support passage of S 2791, the Pay Our Coast Guard Act. This week and next week, CWOAUSCG is sending letters to every member of the House of Representatives, asking them to pass the House version of the bill. 

Further, The Military Coalition has agreed to send a second letter to Congress to underscore the need for this legislation to be passed. The last letter The Military Coalition sent was on August 1, 2023, and can be seen here.

Next, we will be asking for members of CWOAUSCG and their friends and families to write to their individual members of Congress to place additional attention on the issue. This will be an excellent opportunity for Congress to hear from you and potentially build open lines of communication with your local Congressional staff members to address future issues with. 

CWOAUSCG will continue the fight to get legislation passed to make sure our members are never without pay or benefits they need to keep the nation safe.