House Speaker Mike Johnson is rejecting calls for Congress to hold a separate vote to pay military service members, who could miss paychecks next week if the government shutdown continues. Johnson said the House has already acted by passing a stopgap spending bill that would have kept the government funded through Nov. 21.
The Senate on Wednesday rejected competing government funding proposals for the sixth time, deepening frustration over the ongoing shutdown impasse.
“Every Republican and at least one Democrat had the common sense to say, ‘of course we want the government to stay in operation, of course we want to pay our troops and our air traffic controllers and our border patrol agents, TSA and everybody else,’” Johnson said. “We did have that vote.”
“The House is done,” he added. “The ball is now in the Senate’s court. It does us no good to be here dithering on show votes.”
Reps. Derek Tran and Gabe Vasquez led a letter joined by 53 other Democrats urging Johnson to bring legislation to the House floor that would guarantee pay for military service members, civilian personnel and contractors during a government shutdown.
“We urge you to bring legislation to pay America’s service members to the House floor for a vote in time to ensure military personnel get paid on October 15th,” the letter reads. “If Congress does not act by October 15th, nearly three million military families will miss their next paycheck. That’s unacceptable — our military families and troops deserve better.”
Johnson also said Wednesday he believes federal workers should receive back pay once the government reopens, following the Trump administration’s warning that such payments are not guaranteed during the shutdown. Speaking at the Capitol, Johnson said he had not yet reviewed the legal analysis behind the administration’s position but noted it has long been customary — and likely required by law — to compensate furloughed employees after funding is restored. “It is tradition, and I think it is statutory law, that federal workers be paid,” Johnson said. “And I think they should be.”
