COLORADO SPRINGS (AP) — Nearly 3,000 civilian military workers are back on the job in Colorado.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported that at least 2,650 workers at Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy and the North American Aerospace Defense Command received notice this weekend to return to work Monday, Oct. 7.
In addition, 130 civilian workers are also working again at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.
Congress passed a bill hours before the government shutdown to exempt civilian military workers, but many were furloughed anyway.
Congressmen Mike Coffman and Doug Lamborn and others pushed the Defense Department to reverse that.
On Sunday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said government lawyers have advised that the law didn’t permit an across-the-board furlough of civilian employees.
He says more personnel can be exempted as essential under the law.