Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) confirmed on Wednesday that he would not bring up bipartisan legislation designed to guarantee that military servicemembers receive their paychecks during the ongoing government shutdown.
Johnson stated the House had “already had that vote” by passing a continuing resolution (CR), concluding, “The job in the House is done.”
The position ensures that active-duty troops face the possibility of missing their October 15 paycheck if a comprehensive funding bill is not enacted by then.
Troops are expected to continue working without pay during the shutdown, but will receive back pay once government operations resume.
Historically, Congress has acted to protect military pay during shutdowns:
- 2013: The Pay Our Military Act was passed just before a shutdown.
- 2019: Pay for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps was secured as the Department of Defense appropriations bill had already passed, though the Coast Guard was affected.
In the current fiscal year, a defense appropriations bill has not yet passed.
The Speaker’s decision follows a day after he initially expressed openness to the measure, stating, “We want to make sure that our troops are paid.” However, he was quickly followed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who called the bill “unnecessary.”
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