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Discussing Furlough Concerns at Military Bases, Hagel Has ‘No Good News’ Discussing Furlough Concerns at Military Bases, Hagel Has ‘No Good News’
(35 minutes later)
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. — Sandra Walker chose respectful tones as she spoke, but there was iron in her voice when she confronted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about sacrificing 11 days of pay because Congress and President Obama can’t agree on taxes and spending. JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. — Sandra Walker used respectful tones as she spoke, but there was iron in her voice when she confronted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about sacrificing 11 days of pay because Congress and President Obama could not agree on taxes and spending.
A mother of six – three are still at home – Ms. Walker is a Defense Department civilian employee who trains personnel at the 628th Medical Group at this base, home to Air Force cargo planes and the Navy’s nuclear propulsion school. Like hundreds of thousands of Pentagon civilians, she began a furlough this month that will keep her home without pay one day a week until Oct. 1. A mother of six — three are still at home — Ms. Walker is a civilian Defense Department employee who trains personnel at the 628th Medical Group at this base, home to Air Force cargo planes and the Navy’s nuclear propulsion school. Like hundreds of thousands of Pentagon civilian employees, she began a furlough this month that will keep her home without pay one day a week until Oct. 1.
“I’ve taken a second job to compensate,” she said. As if that was not challenge enough, her growing worry is that partisan stalemate in Washington will linger, the Pentagon budget will be slashed further – and massive layoffs will result. “Will we be protected in the security of our jobs, in our retirement?” she asked the defense secretary. “I’ve taken a second job to compensate,” she said. As if that were not challenge enough, her growing worry is that the partisan stalemate in Washington will linger, the Pentagon budget will be slashed further and extensive layoffs will result.
“Will we be protected in the security of our jobs, in our retirement?” she asked the defense secretary.
The news from Mr. Hagel was grim.The news from Mr. Hagel was grim.
“I’ve got to be honest with you,” he said, explaining that if the forced spending reductions, called the sequester, are not lifted, the Pentagon will confront $52 billion in more cuts for 2014. “If we have to do that, we’ll probably be beyond furloughs. We’re going to have to eliminate some jobs.” “I’ve got to be honest with you,” he said, explaining that if the forced spending reductions, called sequestration, are not lifted, the Pentagon will confront $52 billion in more cuts for 2014. “If we have to do that, we’ll probably be beyond furloughs. We’re going to have to eliminate some jobs.”
Over three days visiting military bases of all four armed services across the southeastern United States this week, Mr. Hagel, a former Nebraska senator, told everyone that compromise in Washington is unlikely. Over three days visiting military bases of all four armed services across the southeastern United States this week, Mr. Hagel, a former Nebraska senator, told everyone that compromise in Washington was unlikely.
“There’s no good news,” he said in Charleston to military personnel and civilian Defense Department employees.“There’s no good news,” he said in Charleston to military personnel and civilian Defense Department employees.
“Sequestration is a mindless, irresponsible process,” he said. “You know it, I know it. And I'm hoping that our leaders in Washington will eventually get that and come to some policy resolution. I used to be in that business. I’m not in that business anymore.” “Sequestration is a mindless, irresponsible process,” he said. “You know it, I know it. And I’m hoping that our leaders in Washington will eventually get that and come to some policy resolution. I used to be in that business. I’m not in that business anymore.”
The audiences in Charleston, Fort Bragg, N.C., and Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., were courteous, and some expressed gratitude that the defense secretary had traveled outside of Washington to personally deliver the dark financial forecast. But they did not hide their frustration. The audiences in Charleston, Fort Bragg, N.C., and Naval Air Station Jacksonville, in Florida, were courteous, and some expressed gratitude that the defense secretary had traveled outside Washington to deliver the dark financial forecast. But they did not hide their frustrations.
Their recurring lament was that lost in the loud debate over the budget in Washington are the countless ways that sequestration harms rank-and-file soldiers, civilians and families. Their recurring lament was that lost in the loud debate over the budget in Washington were the countless ways that sequestration harms rank-and-file soldiers, civilians and families.
Clair Riggle is a civilian employee at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. (Her husband is a soldier at the post and, like all active-duty personnel, was exempt from the salary cuts.) “I have been hit by the furloughs, and they’re inconvenient and difficult,” she said. “But what bothers me more is the effect it has on our children.” Claire Riggle is a civilian employee at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. (Her husband is a soldier at the post, and like all active-duty personnel, he was exempt from the salary cuts.) “I have been hit by the furloughs, and they’re inconvenient and difficult,” she said. “But what bothers me more is the effect it has on our children.”
Teachers across the Defense Department school system are civilians and so also fall under the furlough order. Teachers across the Defense Department school system are civilians and fall under the furlough order. In their absence, classes would be canceled.
“So within the first month of school, the children will have missed a whole week of school,” Ms. Riggle told the defense secretary. “So I’m just wondering what’s going to be done about the education requirements, the standard of education? What’s going to be done for our children?”“So within the first month of school, the children will have missed a whole week of school,” Ms. Riggle told the defense secretary. “So I’m just wondering what’s going to be done about the education requirements, the standard of education? What’s going to be done for our children?”
Mr. Hagel said that 800,000 Defense Department civilians could have been slapped with furloughs but that 150,000 received exemptions – mostly for reasons of safety of the force, equipment and installations. Teachers received a partial exemption, and are furloughed less than a week, with instructions to take those days off in bulk before the school year begins. Some programs, like Advance Placement preparation classes, were exempted, Mr. Hagel said. Mr. Hagel said that 800,000 Defense Department civilians could have been put on furlough, but that 150,000 received exemptions, mostly for reasons of safety of the force, equipment and installations. He noted he had already moved to address the concerns of parents. Teachers received a partial exemption and are furloughed for less than a week, with instructions to take those days off in bulk before the school year begins. Some programs, like Advanced Placement preparation classes, were exempted altogether, Mr. Hagel said.
Some along Mr. Hagel’s route expressed frustration at the irony of how furloughs may, in the end, cost the government even more. Some on Mr. Hagel’s route expressed frustration at how furloughs may, in the end, cost the government more.
At Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Mr. Hagel toured the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, where F/A-18 warplanes are stripped to the fuselage and rebuilt, a program to extend their combat life to 10,000 flying hours from the original 8,000 -- all to save money. At Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Mr. Hagel toured the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, where F/A-18 warplanes are stripped to the fuselage and rebuilt, a program to extend their combat life to 10,000 flying hours from the original 8,000 to save money.
The wrench-turners, welders and electricians are civilians and subject to the furloughs. But the warplanes are refurbished under a strict contract with punitive deadlines,so expensive overtime is likely to be approved to make up for those lost days at regular pay, base officials said. The wrench-turners, welders and electricians are civilians and subject to the furloughs. But the warplanes are refurbished under a strict contract with punitive deadlines, so expensive overtime is likely to be approved to make up for those lost days at regular pay, base officials said.
After leaving the factory floor, Mr. Hagel toured the naval air station’s commissary, which now is closed on Mondays because its 110 civilian employees take their furlough days together. After leaving the factory floor, Mr. Hagel toured the naval air station’s commissary, which is closed on Mondays because its 110 civilian employees take their furlough days together.
Inside the commissary, which serves 80,000 people a week, Mr. Hagel was stopped at the meat counter by Joel Logue, 74, a retired Navy senior chief who drives to Jacksonville each Monday to volunteer at the base hospital. Monday was his shopping day for groceries at the veterans’ discount. But no longer. Inside the commissary, which serves 80,000 customers a week, Mr. Hagel was stopped at the meat counter by Joel Logue, 74, a retired Navy senior chief petty officer who drives to Jacksonville each Monday to volunteer at the base hospital. Monday was his day to shop for groceries at the veterans’ discount. But no longer.
“Can you fix that?” Mr. Logue asked.“Can you fix that?” Mr. Logue asked.
“We’re doing our best to get this back on track,” Mr. Hagel said.“We’re doing our best to get this back on track,” Mr. Hagel said.
Some aspects of base life here do appearto be working at cross-purposes in the current spending environment. Because the sequester affects different government spending accounts in varying ways, Larry Bentley, the commissary director, told Mr. Hagel of Defense Department plans to build a new, larger facility next year at a cost of $45 million. The construction has not been cancelled – yet. Because the sequester affects different government spending accounts in varying ways, Larry Bentley, the commissary director, told Mr. Hagel of Defense Department plans to build a larger facility next year at a cost of $45 million. The construction has not been canceled — yet.
After an era of fire-hose spending following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Pentagon had already embarked on budget reductions of $487 billion over a decade. Then Mr. Obama and Congress agreed on a poison-pill plan of across-the-board, additional cuts that were set up to be so severe that they would force Congress toward a comprehensive taxes-and-spending plan. But that has not happened. So the Pentagon was hit with another $37 billion in cuts this year, and may face $52 billion more next. Military spending increased after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but the Pentagon had already embarked on budget reductions of $487 billion over a decade. Then Mr. Obama and Congress agreed on a plan of across-the-board, additional cuts that were set up to be so severe that they would force Congress toward a comprehensive taxes-and-spending plan. But that has not happened. So the Pentagon was hit with another $37 billion in cuts this year and may face $52 billion more next year.
During his tour, Mr. Hagel unveiled one new method to cut the Pentagon budget, announcing plans to reduce by 20 percent the spending for the office of the secretary of defense, for the military’s Joint Staff and for the armed services’ headquarters. Those reductions are expected to reap up to $2 billion in savings over five years across budget requests that will hover around $500 billion a year. During his tour, Mr. Hagel unveiled one method to cut the Pentagon budget, announcing plans to reduce by 20 percent the spending for the office of the secretary of defense, the military’s Joint Staff and the armed services’ headquarters. Those reductions are expected to reap up to $2 billion in savings over five years across budget requests that will hover around $500 billion a year.
That may play well in Washington. That may play well in Washington. But the announcement, like Mr. Hagel’s statements that he and other political appointees were voluntarily taking 20 percent pay cuts for the furlough period, were met with eye-rolling and head-shaking from some in the audiences. It was clear that troops and civilian employees believed that the Washington power elite never strained to pay rent, even with a salary reduction of an equal percentage.
But that announcement, like Mr. Hagel’s statements that he and other political appointees were voluntarily taking 20 percent pay cuts for the furlough period, were greeted by eye-rolling and head-shaking from some in the audiences. It was clear that troops and civilian employees, many of whom live paycheck-to-paycheck, believe the Washington power elite never strain in meeting the rent, even with a salary reduction of an equal percentage.