KEATING TO JOHNSON: CUT THE BS AND GET TO WORK SO WE CAN PAY OUR TROOPS
October 9, 2025
Washington, DC – This week, U.S. Representative Bill Keating (MA-09) joined his colleagues in co-sponsoring H.R. 5401, the Pay Our Troops Act and sending a letter to Speaker Johnson to request he re-convene Congress immediately to take up this vital legislation that will support our military service members amidst the ongoing government shutdown by ensuring troops receive their next paycheck on October 15.
“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,” noted the letter to Speaker Johnson, which was co-signed by 78 other House Democrats. Should Congress fail to act, thousands of active duty and reserve personnel in Massachusetts will be forced to work without pay.
“Our troops show up for work every day to selflessly serve and defend our nation, and twenty days after fleeing Washinton, D.C. ahead of their shutdown, it’s time for the House GOP to show up for work to ensure our military members receive their paychecks,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “I’m calling on Speaker Johnson to put the needs of military families ahead of politics so we can pay or servicemen and women. There is simply no room for partisanship when it comes to our service members and their families. They put everything on the line for our nation, the least we can do is pay them.”“Congress has been out of session since September 19 and despite the government shutting down on September 30, Speaker Johnson has refused to bring the House GOP back to DC for votes. The House GOP's absent, unserious approach to the shutdown, combined with the Speaker's very serious efforts to stall the swearing in of Arizona Rep-Elect Grijalva to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein Files, is maddening on it's own - but it's especially egregious when it's blocking pay for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America.”“It’s long been clear that Speaker Johnson thinks Republicans can govern without Democrats, but his new position seems to be that Republicans can govern without the House of Representatives,” Keating continued. “Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House. They passed their spending bill through the House, and now they’re refusing to return to work to ensure our troops are paid, not to mention their refusal to help the millions of Americans facing health care cost increases due to their “Big Beautiful Bill”. Mike Johnson may not think he needs Democrats in the House, or the House at all, but the American people are depending on us and we’re not giving up. Speaker Johnson, it’s time to end your disgusting charade and get back to work.”
H.R. 5401, the Pay Our Troops Act, is a bipartisan bill to ensure that services members, as well as civilian employees and contractors, are paid during the shutdown. The letter to Speaker Johnson highlights that during the 2013 government shutdown, Congress successfully passed the Pay Our Military Act, a similar bill which provided pay for members of the Armed Forces during a government shutdown.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Keating is a strong supporter of the U.S. military and the brave service members who defend our country.
HR 5401 - the Pay Our Troops Act (congress.gov)
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