Two questions.
- Has anyone been cleared since the government shutdown started?
- Are DCSA adjudicators working during the government shutdown? (At least for DOD clearances)
Not if they are government civilian employees. (I don’t know if adjudicators are also contractors.)
Yes, people have been cleared.
Yes, adjucators are working as they’re funded.
They are likely considered mission critical/excepted employees so forced to work without pay. But will get their back pay when the shutdown is over.
Any national security positions work during shutdown and their pay comes from different funding so it is business as usual. Adjudication is national security.
There is no magic pot of money funding national security positions. The vast majority of government workers are funded by annual appropriations, to include the military. With few exceptions, most are not getting paid (Congress members are one exception as their pay is protected by the Constitution— evidently the framers didn’t want Congress influenced in their legislative decisions by not getting paid). In past shutdowns, Congress has always passed separate legislation to pay military members during a shutdown. That has not happened yet for this shutdown. Legislation passed in 2019 guarantees that everyone will get back pay when they return to work. Positions deemed critical for national security are required to work but they do not get paid until the shutdown is over (or the separate legislation is passed in the case of the military).
Some of us in national security positions are getting paid and that’s all I will say in this regard without revealing my actual job title or position. Per my management, this money is in a “different pot” as you say. I cannot speak for other sectors or positions regarding the shutdown.
Interesting. In all my years of working in DoD I have never heard of that. Must be some sort of revolving fund/DBOF or special program and not funded by an annual appropriation. I highly doubt that the adjudicators at DCSA or at any of the intel agencies (or other agencies that do not fall under DCSA for clearances) are getting paid. But I’m guessing the majority were deemed mission essential and are working away without pay. The last office I worked in had about a dozen DoD civilians processing clearance applications, granting access, etc. I think we were allowed to designate three of the twelve as mission essential during shutdowns.
Same here. We are fully funded by a separate appropriation not impacted by the shut down. I believe National Security, defense, health and law enforcement are all excepted.
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It’s just contractors not understanding that the question wasn’t about them
I believe you are correct. Honestly, at this point I only listen to information that directly affects me and my job! It’s a confusing year for us DoD employees to say the least.
Oh yes. The shutdown has no impact on contractors working on a contract that was let in a prior FY. Apples to oranges.
A friend works for Defense Logistics Agency and they are funded by “fees” charged to their “customers” so he is still working and getting paid. That money won’t last forever but at least for now it is still business as usual for much of DLA.
Government agencies pay a fee to process security clearances for their staff, including contractors. Maybe DCSA is operating under similar conditions, continuing to operate off those funds.
Yes, that would be a revolving fund. Same thing in Corps of Engineers and some other entities. Not sure if DCSA operates as a revolving fund with the fees but I’m sure the adjudicators are working with or without pay. But the vast majority of personnel working in national security positions are funded by annual appropriations.
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