House Republicans Urge Senate Democrats to Support Funding Bill Amid Shutdown

A coalition of Republican veterans in the House is calling on Senate Democrats, who also have military backgrounds, to back the Republican funding bill to prevent the government shutdown from continuing. This comes as military personnel risk missing their first paycheck due to the ongoing stalemate, with an important deadline approaching on October 15.

A letter sent over the weekend stated, “We are a group of veterans currently serving in the House who voted in favor of the continuing resolution on September 19th. We want to reach out to our fellow veterans in the Senate who have opposed this resolution several times. We hope this message is taken in the spirit of brotherhood, not partisanship.”

The letter emphasizes that the proposed short-term funding measure is straightforward; it does not entail any layoffs or unrelated policy changes. Instead, it aims to keep the government operational while allowing time for Congress to negotiate long-term spending arrangements. The letter underscores the urgency of ensuring continuous paychecks for service members.

The deadline for the Senate to pass this Republican bill is set for Monday, October 13, to ensure military pay is processed as planned by the following Wednesday. However, Monday being a federal holiday means the Senate might not convene until Tuesday.

During the government shutdown, active-duty military members, like other essential federal workers, must continue their duties, which raises concerns about the potential delay in their paychecks. This issue has become a focal point in the broader struggle over government funding.

So far, the Senate has turned down seven House-passed continuing resolutions, which aimed to maintain funding at fiscal year 2025 levels until November 21. The House passed the bill on a largely partisan basis. Meanwhile, Democrats have expressed frustration over being excluded from negotiations and are advocating for a funding deal that maintains enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the year’s end.

While Republican leaders in both chambers have stated their willingness to discuss these subsidies, they insist that any continuing resolution must be free of added policy amendments. The intent behind the resolution is to grant Congress ample time to wrap up a long-term funding agreement for the fiscal year 2026, which started on October 1.

The letter reinforces that the proposed shortsighted measure includes no cuts or extraneous elements, merely allowing the government to operate in the interim. It appeals to the Senate Democrats to consider the military’s needs and vote in favor of the continuing resolution while reserving discussions on policy preferences for later.

This initiative is led by Rep. Nick LaLota (RN.Y.), a veteran himself, and has garnered support from 21 other House Republicans who also served in the military. It specifically targets seven Senate Democrats who have opposed the continuing resolution.

At present, the bill needs the support of five additional Democrats to circumvent the Senate filibuster and proceed to a final vote.

As House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces mounting pressure from both sides of the aisle to address military pay, he has mostly pushed back against the proposal of a separate bill focused on that matter, asserting that a Republican-led funding bill is the more effective route to ensure timely payments to military and federal personnel.

In instances where federal employees do not receive their paychecks due to a government shutdown, they typically are entitled to back pay once the shutdown concludes.