Union Veterans Council: Government Shutdown is a Financial Attack on Veteran Federal Workers and Active-Duty Military

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 1, 2025

CONTACT: Craig Romanovich, 412-708-4818, [email protected]

Government Shutdown is a Financial Attack on Veteran Federal Workers and Active-Duty Military

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Union Veterans Council (UVC) issued a sharp condemnation today, warning that the government shutdown is an immediate betrayal of active-duty service members and a severe harm to the hundreds of thousands of veterans working as federal civilians.

"A government shutdown is a manufactured crisis that deliberately targets the financial stability of those who have dedicated their lives to public service," the UVC stated. "When Congress fails to fund the government, it forces veteran federal employees to either be furloughed without pay or, just as cruelly, forced to work without pay because they are deemed 'essential.' This is not inconvenience; it's economic hardship imposed on our heroes."

Direct Impact on the Military and Veteran Workforce

The UVC highlights the immediate consequences of a funding lapse:

• Active-Duty Paychecks Stop: Active-duty service members are required to continue their duties but will see their paychecks halted. This forces military families, many with minimal savings, to navigate an immediate financial crisis, eroding morale and readiness.
• Veteran Civilian Furloughs: A shutdown sends thousands of these employees home without income or forces them to work for free, creating immense stress over mortgages, bills, and family needs.
• Disruption of Transition Services: Critical federal programs that help veterans transition to civilian life, including job counseling and career readiness assistance, would cease, blocking veterans seeking stable employment.

"We ask our service members and veterans to defend this country, and in return, we owe them financial certainty," the UVC added. "We demand that Congress immediately pass a clean spending bill to protect the pay of our active-duty forces and end the threat of economic distress facing every veteran federal worker. Political games should never come at the expense of those who served."