With the shutdown in its eighth day, Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that he does not plan to allow the House to vote on a standalone bill to pay military personnel.
Facing a potential missed payday for servicemembers on October 15, Johnson indicated earlier this week that he was open to the possibility of voting on a bill introduced by Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans that would provide military pay during shutdowns in the 2026 fiscal year. The bill has 122 bipartisan cosponsors in the House.
Johnson changed course Wednesday, telling reporters at a morning press conference that the House had already voted to pay troops three weeks ago when it passed a continuing resolution to fund the government until November 21 — a bill that has repeatedly failed to win sufficient support from Democrats to get through the Senate.
“The job in the House is done,” Johnson said. “Hakeem Jeffries and the House Democrats ... are clamoring to get back here and have another vote, because some of them want to get on record and say they're for paying the troops,” he added. “We already had that vote. It's called the CR.”
Kiggans called on party leaders to reconsider. “I'm urging the Speaker and our House leadership to immediately pass my bill to ensure our servicemembers, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck while supporting their families, receive the pay they've earned,” she said in a statement. “Military pay should not be held hostage due to Washington's dysfunction!”
A large group of Democratic lawmakers also called on Johnson to allow a vote on bipartisan legislation that would ensure servicemembers get paid during the shutdown. “There’s no excuse for inaction, because when it comes to paying our troops, there is no room for partisan politics,” reads a letter spearheaded by Reps. Derek Tran and Gabe Vasquez and signed by 75 other House Democrats.
In previous shutdowns, Congress typically provided for military pay ahead of time one way or another, shielding servicemembers from lost wages, but this time around is different. If the shutdown continues and Congress does not act, October 15 will mark the first time in modern history that all military personnel will miss a paycheck due to lawmakers’ failure to fund the government.
White House considers options: The White House is reportedly looking into ways to ensure that the military gets paid on October 15. Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill says the options include diverting existing funds to cover the cost and pressuring Congress to pass a standalone bill.
Asked Wednesday if he would call on Congress to pass a bill to pay servicemembers, Trump said, “Yeah, that probably will happen.”
“We [don’t] have to worry about it yet,” Trump added. “That’s a long time. You know what one week is for me, an eternity? One week for me is a long time. We’ll take care of it.”
Senate rejects funding bills again: The Senate on Wednesday again blocked a pair of bills that would fund the federal government. Needing 60 votes to pass, a Republican bill failed in a 54-45 vote. A second bill backed by Democrats failed 47-52.
Three senators in the Democratic caucus — John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Angus King of Maine — voted in favor of the GOP bill, as they have previously. One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, voted against the GOP bill.
The vote marks the sixth time the Senate has failed to pass the bills, and there are no signs that the stalemate is coming to an end any time soon.