Some 800,000 civilians working on military installations across the country could take a serious pay cut.

That's if Congress fails to pass a budget in on March 1.

Furloughs will go into effect that will give one day of unpaid leave a week for 22 weeks to certain civilian employees.

It translates into a 20 percent pay cut for over five months -- from April 21 to the end of September.

Fort Bliss has a civilian workforce of 11,000.

"We rely on our civilian work force for an awful lot. For our gyms, our medical facilities, maintaining beautification on the installation, maintaining quality of life," said Maj. Joe Buccino, spokesperson for Fort Bliss.

Many may be on the chopping block come next week.

"It hurts the economy here in the El Paso area and in any place that there's a military installation, it's gonna hurt that," said John Baily, CEO of TIGUA INC.

While his company won't be directly affected by these potential cuts, the future is still up in the air. Thousands of temporary contracts across the military have already been cut. Baily says he's preparing for the worst.

"We're making sure that we diversify the type of contracts that we bid and the places that we bid to make sure that we can keep all of our people employed," said Baily.

Connie looks at things differently. She is one of the thousands who will likely have to take a pay cut. One day unpaid a week for 22 weeks.

"Anything that I do excess in my own personal life, I would have to just adjust," said Connie.

Fort Bliss officials are hopeful.

"We'd be able to manage that in a way that it's staggered so we can maintain services to the best of our ability," said Buccino.

"It's really being able to take care of the soldiers and our families. I mean, that's what our job is and that's what this country owes to our soldiers and their families is to really take care of their family," said Baily.

Civilian employees who deal with matters of health, life and safety would likely not be affected.

By the end of this week or early next week, Bliss officials will know who is exempt and exactly how the furloughs will be implemented.