Military Families Worry About Looming Shutdown

[otohara]

Military families worry about looming shutdown

(AP) – 6 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat to U.S. troops' paychecks during a government shutdown has rattled military families and others sympathetic to young soldiers, sailors, air crews and Marines fighting distant wars. More than concerns over closed courthouses or national parks, the military issue escalated the political feud Thursday in Washington.

Both the Republicans and Democrats tried to steer the issue to their benefit.

The House approved a resolution by Republicans to fund the military through the end of the fiscal year. But the White House threatened to block it, calling the measure — which also includes billions more in budget cuts and a ban on publicly funded abortions in the District of Columbia — a "distraction from the real work that would bring us closer to a reasonable compromise." The Democrats offered a simple one-week extension of current spending levels.

In Iraq on Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told troops that if the government closes, their next paycheck would be for half the normal amount and they wouldn't receive a check at all the following pay period if the shutdown continued. Gates told them they could expect to get paid eventually for all their work.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gmFLUKP-sDK00Vg--KCoPnnBlkdA?docId=fbe62d656d234142a22661a181680650