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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 30, 2025) — The chief executives of three associations that combine to represent all of the nation’s nearly 800,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists are urging congressional leaders to pass fiscal 2026 appropriations for defense, military construction and veterans affairs.
Failure to do so today, the last day of fiscal 2025, would force the federal government to close its doors tomorrow, the first day of fiscal 2026.
Such an occurrence “would have severe consequences on the Total Force, undermining readiness and the ability to prepare and respond to our nation’s threats,” said retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president; retired Maj. Gen. John B. Hashem, the president of the Reserve Organization of America; and retired Command Sgt. Maj. John Gipe, the executive director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, in a Sept. 29 letter.
The dispatch went to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the Senate Majority Leader; Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Minority Leader; Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the Speaker of the House; and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the House Minority Leader.
If a government shutdown cannot be averted, the three associations urged congressional leaders to pass the Pay Our Troops Act (H.R. 5401).
That would ensure that service members on active duty, including federally mobilized Guardsmen and Reservists, and defense civilians receive the proper pay and allowances on time.
Otherwise, they would serve without pay until the shutdown ends.
Traditional, part-time Guardsmen and Reservists would not attend scheduled drills during a shutdown.
Reporters, Editors & Producers: Retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn is available for interviews or to appear as a subject matter expert on issues related to the National Guard. Contact John Goheen at 202-408-5882 to schedule an interview or appearance.
About NGAUS: The association includes nearly 45,000 current or former Guard officers. It was created in 1878 to provide unified National Guard representation in Washington. In their first productive meeting after Reconstruction, militia officers from the North and South formed the association with the goal of obtaining better equipment and training by educating Congress on Guard requirements. Today, 147 years later, NGAUS has the same mission.
