Military Pay During Government Shutdown
House Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana mentioned on Friday that President Trump is exploring options to ensure that U.S. military personnel can receive their pay without needing Congressional approval, as the government shutdown enters its 10th day.
Johnson stated during a press conference, “The executive branch, the president, is also looking at possible ways to ensure that military personnel are paid.”
He also remarked that Republicans support paying the military, while Democrats seem to be demonstrating a reluctance to do so, saying they’ve “held eight demonstrations” against military pay.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for more information.
Starting on October 15, military personnel will not receive paychecks unless there’s a standalone bill passed to appropriate funds for them or the government is reopened.
Rep. Jen Quiggans from Virginia introduced a bill last month aimed at ensuring payment for soldiers, which has garnered support from 148 House members—104 Republicans and 44 Democrats.
Mike Johnson, however, dismissed the notion of passing a standalone bill during the ongoing shutdown, mentioning that Republicans already passed a “clean” continuing resolution to reopen government agencies.
He later expressed doubt about the effectiveness of a standalone bill during a call with the House Freedom Caucus, suggesting it would be a “pointless exercise” as Senate Democrats would likely block it.
On Thursday, Senate Democrats rejected the Republican-led continuing resolution aimed at funding the government through the end of November for the seventh time.
Pressure is mounting on Johnson to reconvene the House for a vote on the military pay bill. Rep. Elise Stefanik from New York urged for a vote to ensure military payments, highlighting her position as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and her long-standing representation of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division.
On social media platform X, she stated, “I am co-sponsoring the Military Pay Act and calling for a floor vote to ensure that our brave and dedicated service members are paid.”
President Trump indicated on Wednesday that a standalone military pay bill “will probably happen,” but acknowledged the complexity of the situation.
Johnson cautioned not to take Democratic politicians at their word, urging people to focus on their voting records and to insist on doing the right thing.
