Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Friday that President Trump is “working on ways” to pay U.S. service members without congressional action as the government shutdown stretches into its 10th day.
“The executive branch, the president, is working on ways that he may have, as well, to ensure the troops are paid,” Johnson said at a press conference.
Johnson told reporters the Republican Party “stands for paying” troops and Democratic Party lawmakers are the “ones that are demonstrating over and over and over now eight times that they don’t want” the military to be paid.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for additional comment.
If Congress does not pass a stand-alone bill to pay the troops or reopen the government, military members will miss their paychecks starting Wednesday.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) introduced a bill last month that would ensure that troops are being paid. The legislation has the backing of 148 House members, including 104 GOP lawmakers and 44 Democrats.
Johnson shot down the idea Friday of moving a stand-alone bill as the shutdown drags on, saying Republicans already passed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) that would reopen the government.
Later in the day, Johnson weighed in on potentially moving a stand-alone bill, saying during a call with the House Freedom Caucus that “it would be a pointless exercise, because the Senate Democrats will block it.”
On Thursday, Senate Democrats for the seventh time blocked the GOP-led CR, which would fund the government through the end of November.
Pressure has turned up on Johnson to call the House back for a vote on the stand-alone legislation. On Thursday, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) called for the lower chamber to hold a vote on the bill to ensure the troops are paid.
“As a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and the longtime representative for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division, I have cosponsored and am calling for a floor vote on the Pay Our Troops Act to ensure that our brave and dedicated servicemembers are paid,” Stefanik said on the social platform X.
On Wednesday, Trump said a stand-alone military pay bill “probably will happen.”
“This could not be any simpler than it is. Look at the record. Don’t listen to what these Democrat politicians are saying up here,” Johnson said Friday during the press conference. “Look at how they’re voting and demand that they do the right thing.”
Emily Brooks contributed.