Congress Closes Government Rather than Compromise

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.

President Barrack Obama speaks to DoD civilians and troops assuring those in uniform that ongoing military actions and their pay will be funded despite the shutdown. Not necessarily the case with civilians. The Pentagon Channel released  video this morning.

The Senate said no early Monday to the House spending bill and by the end of the work day had also failed to exempt military pay from the midnight Monday shutdown that appears inevitable, reports Defense News. DefSec Chuck Hagel says civilians and military personnel should talk to their supervisors Tuesday morning about their job status. By midnight contingency plans assured military pay.

Although Defense News also reports the likelihood that the Senate would pass some spending bill before midnight, there was little to no hope held out that the House could find the compromise needed to keep government open. Politico followed the day of congressional budget deliberations blow-by-blow and also sees little hope even for temporary measures to fund government for another week or two.

Defense contractors should expect payment delays and some may not be paid at all as a result of a shutdown, reports Defense News. A government shutdown would halt most new contracting Cmdr. Bill Urban, spokesman for the Pentagon’s comptroller told DoD Buzz .

CNN reports on what’s open and what’s not when the federal government shuts down. NextGov reports that government social media sites will “go dark” with a government shutdown.

Shutdowns are not without precedent, but there haven’t been many reports FCW.

CNN polling show most people will blame the GOP for a government shutdown and also reports that the conservative Republican and Tea Party leading the effort believe a shutdown is worth the effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Although most Americans oppose a shutdown and Monday’s falling stock market indicating the financial sector oppose it as well, as the day wore on congress continued to point fingers instead of negotiating a resolution, reports CNN.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the DoD is prepared to deal with a shutdown but calls it “disruptive, stupid,” reports Defense.gov.

Defense News reports that the 2011 Budget Control Act, better known as sequestration, is the “new normal,” and according to D.C. think tanks will reduce the Pentagon’s annual budget by $50 billion. To help us understand what sequestration really is, The New Republic presents a primer.

The Government Accounting Office questions the Navy’s UAV development strategies, reports Defense Daily.(Paywall.)

Software is the biggest risk to the success of the F-35 according to the Air Force’s program executive, reports AIN online.

NextGov reports that the Army is in charge of the mobile radio communication system which experienced failures during the Sept. 16, shootings at the Navy Yard.

Retired Marine major Peter Munson blogs about how to prepare for retirement to a civilian life and career.

Iran touts advances in UAV sufficiency and technology, including successful reverse engineering of a Lockheed Martin-built stealth UAV Iranian forces captured in 2011, reports Defense News. Defense Update.com reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran has begun mass-production of its Shahed 129 unmanned aerial vehicle.

US and Japan to  discuss global security, reports SpaceDaily.com. Japan is particularly concerned with China and its behavior in the East China Sea.

Turkey selected a Chinese company for its $4 billion missile defense shield. The selected system beat out the US’s Patriot, the Russian S-400 and the French-Italian Eurosam Samp-T, reports Defense Update.com.

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $64,982,586 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery, requirements contract for additional logistics services and materials to support 36 T-45A and 168 T-45C aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss.; NAS Kingsville, Texas; NAS Pensacola, Fla., and Patuxent River, MD. This requirement also includes the organizational level maintenance for the engine. Work will be performed in Kingsville, Texas (57 percent); Meridian, Miss. (36 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (6 percent); and Patuxent River (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2014. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.