Senate Majority Leader’s Push for Military Pay Bill

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, is aiming to compel Democrats to vote soon on legislation intended to ensure over a million military personnel receive their pay during the ongoing government shutdown. This move is part of his strategy to bring attention to the challenges faced by military families, as outlined by Senate Republicans.

On Wednesday, Thune advanced a proposal from Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin that would secure pay for military personnel even amidst the shutdown, scheduling a vote as early as next week.

President Trump has instructed Army Secretary Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds” to guarantee active-duty service members and their families won’t miss their paychecks due to the shutdown. Pentagon officials noted that there’s around $8 billion in unspent research, development, and technology funding that could cover soldier salaries during the initial phase of the shutdown.

Johnson’s legislation is designed to ensure that service members continue receiving their paychecks, even after the non-mandatory funds identified by the administration are exhausted.

Thune mentioned in a conversation with Politico that this bill would provide Democrats with a chance to vote on military financing next week.

On Thursday, Republican leaders pushed Democrats to vote on an $852 billion annual defense spending bill, but it was blocked by a 50-44 vote, falling short of the 60 votes needed to progress.

Thune criticized Democrats for obstructing the bill, which had previously gained robust bipartisan support in the Appropriations Committee back in July.

“Democrats just voted against a bill that actually pays the military. You’ve got to think, ‘Why?'” he stated on the Senate floor after the vote.

Referring to recent news reports, Thune suggested that Democrats rejected military funding to maintain their leverage during the shutdown. “I mean, if the Democrats get what they desire, does it really matter to them whether the military gets paid?” he questioned.

Many Democrats were taken aback by Thursday’s defense bill vote, with some moderate members indicating they might have supported advancing the bill if it had been combined with a package including a Labor, Health, and Human Services spending bill to fund their priorities.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer from New York told reporters ahead of the vote that it was “always unacceptable” for Democrats to support a defense bill without addressing multiple other significant issues impacting the American people, like health care, housing, and safety.