Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), along with 11 of their Senate colleagues, introduced S. 2835, the Pay Our Military Act of 2023, which would ensure America’s military service members — Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard and Space Force — are paid in the event of a government shutdown. The federal government runs out of spending authority on Sept. 30.
Wicker serves as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on which Sullivan also serves. Cruz serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the Coast Guard, and on which Sullivan also serves.
The legislation would appropriate funds to pay members of the Armed Forces, including reservists, if a temporary or full-year federal funding bill is not passed and signed by Oct. 1. The Pay Our Military Act would also fund the pay of civilian Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel and contractors whom each department’s respective secretary determines are “providing support to members of the Armed Forces.”
“We have entered the most dangerous period in American history since the end of World War II—a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators in Beijing and Moscow,” said Sullivan. “All Americans count on our military members to be ready to respond to threats to the homeland, wherever and whenever they may arise. The last thing our brave men and women in uniform need to be worrying about is whether they will get a paycheck, and whether their families are taken care of back home. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and pass our commonsense legislation to alleviate those concerns as we face a potential government shutdown. Senators and congressmen often like to say how much they support our military members—now they have an opportunity to show it.”
“Following the blockage of my bicameral, bipartisan legislation, the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, by some Senate Democrats, it has become apparent that there are politicians in this chamber who intend to leave parts of our military unfunded in the event of a government shutdown,” Sen. Cruz said. “Defunding our military dangerously undermines our national security and hinders the men and women who bravely protect Texas and our great nation. I urge all of my colleagues—on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers—to pass this legislation expeditiously and pay our military in the event of a government shutdown.”
Cosponsors of the bill include Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) has introduced companion legislation in the House.
Last week, Senators Cruz and Sullivan attempted to pass the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, legislation to ensure Coast Guard personnel receive pay and allowances in the event of a government shutdown if the other members of the Armed Forces receive pay and allowances. However, the bill was blocked by Senate Democrats.
Somebody’s running for reelection.
Short answer: no. Not with DOD and Homeland lumped in. Swampy is just rooting in the trough with this.
The Democrats do not care about securing our Borders or country they only care about the pet projects they want. Sorry but all this welfare spending is second to securing our borders and Nation against hostile foreign aggression and hostile domestic aggression by the left. To many times in my 30+ years of serving this country have the Democrats and left cried foul because they hate our military.
The Republicans are letting 20 House extermists control our entire Democracy, all of the past shutdowns have increased our budget deficits. Can’t fix stupid voters in deep Red States
Oh “Frank”…
The ironies in this statement are too many and too dense to bother with.
Except to go. Oh “Frank”
Pro tip. Sometimes (often in your case) the less said the better.
What did Frank say that is incorrect? He posted a comment consisting of 29 words, two statements of fact and one opinion.
If you disagree with his statements of facts (20 extremist house republicans holding up the a vote or past shutdowns increasing the deficit) please refute them. They should be simple to prove right or wrong.
You can disagree with his opinion, as many often do, but your comment adds absolutely nothing to the discussion
Oh “pablo”…
You are not smart enough, old enough, or clever enough to spar with me. You certainly don’t have a grasp of politics or current events outside your own myopic worldview.
Plus you have no clue on “Frank’s” backstory regarding why he is taken on slightly more serious than, say, you are.
Attack the commenter, not the comment. That only wins arguments in your own head.
I will ask again, what was wrong in the original comment?
If you disagree with it or found it factually incorrect, prove it.
We have never met and I couldn’t pick you out of a lineup, so how do you know that I am not old enough, or smart enough or clever enough to spar with you? What do you know about me?
These message boards are such an echo chamber for you own myopic worldview, that any time someone so much as questions the party line, they are shouted down and insulted, often never disproving or debating the points made by that opposing viewpoint.
As I said before, we have never met, so I couldn’t care less if you don’t take me seriously. I mean who would take someone seriously with a name like “Masked Avenger?”
The stupidity in your comment shows. We do not live in a Democracy we live in a Constitutional Republic and that is how it works. A Democracy the majority just runs rough shod over the minority. But then again stupidity runs rampant in the left.
Frank, interesting comment, especially since ALL democrats voted against it. But yeah, it must be the republicans that cause it. Projection at its finest.
Could use your help on this one too, Senator Sullivan.
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In The Federalist we find: “Washington Funds Ukraine Forever War While Our Own Soldiers’ Barracks Rot”
(‘https://thefederalist.com/2023/09/25/washington-funds-ukraine-forever-war-while-our-own-soldiers-barracks-rot/)
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At Military.com we find: “Bedbugs, Brown Water, Squatters: Military Barracks Blasted over Horrid Living Conditions, Lack of Accountability” (‘military.com/daily-news/2023/09/20/bedbugs-brown-water-squatters-military-barracks-blasted-over-horrid-living-conditions-lack-of.html?ESRC=eb_230921.nl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb&utm_campaign=20230921)
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Bottom line: $300M to Ukraine while “…the extensive (barracks) analysis contains numerous examples of “substandard conditions,” including bedbugs and roaches, a common issue at six of the bases that GAO visited.” Water quality was also a notable issue, with one group of service members telling GAO investigators that their water “is often brown and does not appear safe for drinking.”
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Pretty sure a Marine colonel would know how to fix this situation…
Add to this the “60 Minutes” report that US funds are being used to pay salaries of Ukrainian first responders and small businesses (apparently even during a shut-down), while our administration and legislators can’t be bothered to pay our own service members…
Furthermore considering that more “Ukraine aid” is one of the sticking points the democrats demand in order to vote for an agreement, it seems asinine after Ukraine already received more than $25 billion. You wonder Frank, why we have deficits? Start there!
Makes you wonder what else we’re paying for.
Why not write a story about Sullivan just voting to fund more money to Ukraine? What a patriot!!
Sullivan is just a money laundering politician who is stealing from the taxpayer. The country is broke and he just keeps voting to spend.
Bingo.
Sorry but no. I cannot support special treatment for certain categories of federal employees unless ALL “essential” employees who are forced to continue working during shutdowns continue to get paid on time.
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