Democrats’ military pay bill stalled as government shutdown continues

A Democratic-led attempt to ram through a bill to pay the military during the government shutdown was blocked in the House on Friday.

Democrats and some Republicans have demanded a House vote to ensure U.S. troops don’t miss their next paycheck on Oct. 15 or any other as the government shutdown enters a third week.

But Republican leaders have largely rejected the request, calling it an attempt by Democrats to save face after rejecting a Republican funding bill that would have maintained the salaries of military and other federal workers.

Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., attempted to seek unanimous consent to pass the bill Friday afternoon during a pro forma session in the House.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, October 3, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

But House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., who was presiding over the chamber, left the session before Elfreth could finish reading his request.

Active-duty military personnel are considered “essential” and must therefore continue to work during the government shutdown. But they and other federal employees are expected to miss pay until the government is funded — after which they will receive back pay from skipped checks during the shutdown.

The House passed a GOP-led CR largely along party lines on September 19. It would keep current government funding levels roughly flat through Nov. 21 to give Congress more time to reach an agreement on fiscal 2026 spending levels.

The measure is free of other policy items, except for about $88 million to boost security for lawmakers, the White House and the judiciary — which has bipartisan support.

But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in these government funding discussions, are calling for both an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies and an end to Republicans’ recent Medicaid cuts in exchange. for their support.

Representative Sarah Elfreth speaks during a sit-in protest against a Republican budget plan on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, April 27, 2025. (Bryan Dozier/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

The funding bill has stalled in the Senate, where it has been rejected seven times by Democrats.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was visibly frustrated Friday when he addressed reporters at his now-daily news conference and addressed the issue of military pay.

“As a reminder, the House passed a clear, nonpartisan CR three weeks ago today to keep the government funded and, by extension, to pay our troops, TSA agents, Border Patrol agents, air traffic controllers and the rest of our federal workforce,” Johnson said.

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“We had this vote three weeks ago. And since then, Senate Democrats have voted repeatedly to keep the government closed. And the Senate, they’ve now voted seven times to block paychecks for 2 million federal civilian workers and 1.3 million active-duty military personnel.”

Johnson later told reporters on a press call that a standalone vote would be a “pointless exercise” because “Senate Democrats would block it.”

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital that Democrats’ effort Friday in the House was a political coup “of gargantuan proportions.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson is joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer and Representative Brian Steil for a press conference on the tenth day of the government shutdown, October 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

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“You can’t do that in a pro forma session. Again, it’s just for attention,” Emmer said.

And while the GOP has been largely united on the issue, at least two House Republicans, Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., have publicly pushed for standalone votes on military pay.

Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days, called “pro forma” sessions, to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.

Pro forma sessions can also be an opportunity for legislators to give brief speeches or introduce legislation that they otherwise would not have been able to do.