A group of Senate Republicans, led by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), have introduced legislation aimed at ensuring that active-duty military personnel and other federal workers classified as “excepted,” such as air traffic controllers, continue to receive pay during a government shutdown.
Senator Cassidy stated, “Middle-class Americans showing up to work cannot miss multiple paychecks because Democrats shutdown the government. Let’s make sure our troops, like those at Barksdale, Fort Polk, and the Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, and others who protect our nation and keep our country running still get paid.”
The bill was introduced alongside Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tom Cotton (R-AR), James Risch (R-ID), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Todd Young (R-IN). The proposed legislation seeks to address the financial impact on essential federal employees when budget disagreements result in a lapse in government funding.
