Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, cosponsored the Pay Our Military Act of 2023. The legislation would ensure that members of America’s military — Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, and Space Force — are paid in the event of a government shutdown in Fiscal Year 2024. U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) led the introduction of the legislation.
“Our dedicated military men and women shouldn’t miss a paycheck because of political fights in Washington. Congress needs to take action to protect this nation’s military readiness and ensure that our Armed Forces receive the pay they have rightfully earned,” said Senator Fischer.
Background:
The Pay Our Military Act of 2023 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 October 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.”
In addition to Senators Fischer and Sullivan, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), 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.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Full text of the legislation can be found here.