Rep. Golden co-sponsors bill to pay Coast Guard members

PORTLAND (WGME) – The partial government shutdown has now dragged into day 27 with still no end in sight.

This week, thousands of active duty Coast Guard members didn't get their paychecks.

For the first time in history, Coast Guard service members aren't being paid during this lapse in government funding.

Congressman Jared Golden is co-sponsoring a bi-partisan bill to restore payment, and Senator Susan Collins is co-sponsoring companion legislation in the senate.

That's because the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense.

Coast Guard Sector Northern New England has about 600 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel.

Most of them are in Maine, where the sector is headquartered.

Congressman Golden says forcing the Coast Guard families to go without pay is unacceptable.