[AicapAifap] Coast Guard Not Fired

[Alliance of Incarcerated Canadians/Foreigners in American Prisons]

Coast Guard paid despite shutdown, not guaranteed in January          
                             Posted by Ashlyn Korienek on January 2nd,
2019                  
	MANISTEE COUNTY — Local U.S. Coast Guard workers stationed in 
Manistee will receive a paycheck despite the partial government 
shutdown, but further pay in January is not guaranteed until a budget
is  passed. 

	Vice Commandant Adm. Charles Ray announced on Friday the Department 
of Homeland Security (DHS) found a way to pay employees, following a 
partial shutdown that started on Dec. 22. 

	Congress has not passed a federal budget, and the shutdown is set to
extend into the new year. 

	According to a Coast Guard All Hands post on Dec. 28, the official 
blog of the U.S. Coast Guard workforce, DHS and Coast Guard officials 
identified a way to pay workers on Dec. 31. 

	However, it was described as a “one-time action.” 

	Petty Officer Brian McCrum, with the U.S. Coast Guard’s 9th
District  in Cleveland, said they are not guaranteed paychecks for the
next pay  period on Jan. 15, if the shutdown does not end. 

	“We were paid for Dec. 31,” McCrum said. “As of Jan. 1, there
is no  guarantee. We are expected to get back pay, whenever they come
to a  resolution on the funding. But as long as the shutdown continues
there  is no guarantee we will get paid on Jan. 15.” 

	Coast Guard Station Manistee workers are still active amid the 
shutdown. Petty officer Adrian Ledesma confirmed in a past interview 
that operations across the region will see very little impact. 

	The Coast Guard Station Manistee also serves Frankfort and Ludington
areas through the winter months. 

	“All coast guardsmen are still on duty despite the temporary lapse
in  funding, and we are maintaining the same diligence that we do 
year-round,” Ledesma said. “My crew and I are on duty right now,
and we  still maintain our search and rescue readiness for ice rescue
and  waterborne missions.” 

	Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed on Dec.
21, when a budget deal was not met. 

	Members of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines are not impacted by 
the shutdown, but Coast Guard funding is handled through the DHS, not 
the Department of Defense. The Department of Veterans Affairs is also 
not impacted by the shutdown. 

	Officials did not release details on how they covered the shortfall 
in funding of $75 million, while the shutdown impacts nearly 42,000 
Coast Guard workers. 

	According to the Associated Press, funding for President Donald 
Trump’s project, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, is the focal
point  of the shutdown. Democrats opposed the measure. 

	A White House briefing was held on Wednesday afternoon. Negotiations 
will resume today, when Congress reconvenes with a Democratic majority
 in the House of Representatives. 

	On Monday, House Democrats also unveiled a package of bills that 
could potentially re-open the federal government, the Associated Press
 reported. The package does not include the $5 billion Trump wants for
 the wall. 

	The House plans for two separate votes today. If approved, the bills
go to the Senate. 

	Trump is able to accept or reject either bill, but his response is
not clear at this time. 

	The Associated Press contributed to this report.

	http://news.pioneergroup.com/manisteenews/2019/01/02/coast-guard-paid-despite-shutdown-not-guaranteed-in-january/
        Coast Guard paid despite shutdown, not guaranteed in January  
     Manistee News Advocate (press release)   28, the official blog of
the U.S. Coast Guard workforce, DHS and Coast ... our search and
rescue readiness for ice rescue and waterborne missions.”.    
         
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