Federal employees, especially in the DoD are facing loss of pay due to impending furloughs. Many of these employees are not authorized to shop at CONUS base commissaries or exchanges because they are not retired from the military or are not an authorized family member. Commissaries and exchanges provide a variety of items at reasonable prices and would be a convenient place for many civilian employees to shop.
At this time of cost cutting measures, this proposal may provide many benefits. This could be a morale boost for civilian employees who have faced many challenges this year. This could also provide more money toward morale and welfare programs which are funded via military exchanges.