The Pentagon on Sunday called back to work most of its roughly 400,000 civilian employees, based on administration lawyers’ legal interpretation.
The order was given by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, five days after roughly 800,000 federal workers were sent home after Congress failed to reach a deal to fund the government.
Hagel said the decision to recall the workers is based on a Pentagon legal interpretation of a law called the Pay Our Military Act.
“Attorneys concluded that the law does allow the Department of Defense to eliminate furloughs for employees whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of service members,” Hagel said in a written statement. “This has been a very disruptive year for our people. Many important activities remain curtailed while the shutdown goes on.”
Hagel signaled earlier in the past week that Pentagon lawyers were trying to determine ways for some of the department's furloughed civilians to get back to work.
The law ensured that members of the military, who have remained at work throughout the shutdown, would be paid on time.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/06/pentagon-orders-400000-furloughed-civilian-employees-back-to-work/
The order was given by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, five days after roughly 800,000 federal workers were sent home after Congress failed to reach a deal to fund the government.
Hagel said the decision to recall the workers is based on a Pentagon legal interpretation of a law called the Pay Our Military Act.
“Attorneys concluded that the law does allow the Department of Defense to eliminate furloughs for employees whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of service members,” Hagel said in a written statement. “This has been a very disruptive year for our people. Many important activities remain curtailed while the shutdown goes on.”
Hagel signaled earlier in the past week that Pentagon lawyers were trying to determine ways for some of the department's furloughed civilians to get back to work.
The law ensured that members of the military, who have remained at work throughout the shutdown, would be paid on time.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/06/pentagon-orders-400000-furloughed-civilian-employees-back-to-work/
