US Senators address furloughs for National Guard members

U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Susan Collins (R-ME), and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced legislation to ensure National Guard Military Technicians receive the same furlough protection as members of our nation’s active duty components.

“Military technicians play an integral role in maintaining our National Guard’s readiness,” Pryor said. “There’s no question that they should be given the same protection as their active component counterparts. I hope the Senate will take up and pass our bill immediately.”

“While all active duty military personnel are exempt from sequestration, dual-status technicians are not, even though these technicians are really the effective equivalent of the uniformed personnel in the active duty component. This bill would fix that,” said Collins.

“The readiness of our National Guard depends on military technicians’ ability to do their job. Serving side-by-side with other Guard and military personnel, the role they play in the effectiveness of our military units is nothing less than essential. They should receive the same exemption as other members of the Armed Forces,” Boozman said.

Military Technicians serve as civilian employees for the U.S. Department of the Army and Department of Air Force, as well as military members of the National Guard. They assist with day-to-day operations and training of National Guard Units. They also contribute greatly to unit-level readiness in support of National Guard missions.

In July, the Office of Management and Budget exempted uniformed military personnel from furloughs. Unfortunately, due to a technicality, dual-status Military Technicians were not exempted. The senators’ bill would adjust the calculation to provide the same exemption to these individuals. Their bill is supported by the Enlisted Association of the National Guard and the National Guard Association of the United States.