Military Families Brace for Potential Government Shutdown Impact

Military families across the United States are once again bracing for the potential impact of a government shutdown. With Congress racing towards March 1 and March 8 deadlines to fund the federal government, key programs and services for military service members and their families are at risk of disruption.

Besa Pinchotti, the wife of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and operator of an email list of hundreds of thousands of military families with the National Military Family Association, has been warning families about the potential consequences of a government shutdown for the third time in less than six months.

The first deadline, which arrives at 11:59 p.m. on February 25, endangers the federal government’s WIC program, which provides food and nutritional assistance for women and children. More than 200,000 military families rely on WIC services, and a shutdown could disrupt these essential benefits.

The SNAP program, which helps provide food for other low-income families, including those with connections to the military, is also at risk of disruptions in April. Half of junior enlisted spouses report experiencing food insecurity, and cuts or delays for food assistance programs would be devastating for military families.

Military paychecks are also at risk of delay or disruption by late March. The brave men and women who serve in the military deserve certainty when it comes to their pay and benefits. The uncertainty surrounding government funding deadlines is deeply unfair to our service members and their families.

Members of Congress have warned about potential disruptions on military posts and bases. In a November report, the Partnership for Public Service warned that post and base services would be curtailed or closed, elective medical procedures would be postponed, and critical training activities would be delayed, leading to postponed promotions.

The American Legion has also issued warnings about potential disruptions to its members. In a statement issued ahead of a prior government shutdown deadline in October, the organization emphasized the potential risk to military recruitment.

Republicans and Democrats have accused each other of prolonging or exacerbating the gridlock that continues to prevent the passage of longer-term spending deals. Both parties have failed to come to a consensus on larger-scale legislation or initiatives to help improve the overall quality of life of service members.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Republican who represents a large U.S. Navy community near Newport News, Virginia, introduced legislation in September that would ensure service members are paid in the event of a government shutdown.

Congress has also failed to address the reality that military families have to rely on programs like WIC. It’s time for pay increases for our service members to alleviate the need for these essential programs.

The latest round of brinkmanship comes at a particularly sensitive moment for military families. It’s time to choose summer camps and plan vacations and prepare for moves for the next school year. There’s so much uncertainty.

Military families deserve better than this. They deserve certainty when it comes to their pay and benefits, and they deserve a government that prioritizes their needs. It’s time for Congress to put politics aside and pass a long-term spending bill that provides stability for military families.

In conclusion, military families are once again bracing for the potential impact of a government shutdown. With key programs and services for military service members and their families at risk of disruption, it’s time for Congress to put politics aside and pass a long-term spending bill that provides stability for military families. The uncertainty surrounding government funding deadlines is deeply unfair to our service members and their families, and it’s time for a change.