WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today issued the following statement regarding Maine Army and Air National Guard, Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees returning to work:
 
“We are certainly pleased that the dedicated members of the Maine National Guard and civilian federal employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and at Bath Iron Works are returning to work, but remain frustrated that they were ever furloughed in the first place. The ‘Pay Our Military Act’ is now being implemented as Congress intended and as we clarified in our letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “We will continue to closely examine how the Pentagon administers this law, especially as it relates to other defense installations in our state.”
 
Last Friday, Senators Collins and King joined a bipartisan group of 50 senators in sending a letter to Secretary Hagel urging him to review furlough policies in light of the “Pay Our Military Act” being made law.

###