Pentagon to delay furlough notices

Pentagon officials have put off sending furlough notices to civilian employees until they’ve had a chance to analyze how pending legislation that would fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year will affect the Defense Department.

The furloughs, expected to affect more than 800,000 civilian employees — including about 2,100 Defense Department civilian employees at Kirtland Air Force Base — are a result of the automatic, across-the-board “sequestration” cuts triggered by Congress’s inability to reach agreement on a deficit-cutting plan.

Officials now estimate that furlough notices will go out on or about April 5, Navy Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in a news release.

“The legislation could have some impact on the overall number of furlough days, but no decisions have been reached, especially since the legislation hasn’t been signed into law,” Hull-Ryde said. “The number of furlough days at this point remains at 22.”

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said the delay makes sense. “We believe the delay is a responsible step to take in order to assure our civilian employees that we do not take lightly the prospect of furloughs and the resulting decrease in employee pay,” he said.