Duckworth Joins Coons, Schumer, Murray, Reed in Introducing Legislation to Ensure Pay For Military Personnel, Intel Community Continues During Shutdown

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)—along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and 18 of their Democratic colleagues—in introducing theArmed Forces Pay Act, legislation to ensure that military personnel continue to receive pay during the Republican-led government shutdown. Paychecks for servicemembers are scheduled to go out on November 5, 2025.
“Congress has a duty to ensurethat our servicemembers and their loved ones are cared forin a way that honors their sacrifices,”said Duckworth.“Our heroes should be focusing on protecting our nation—not worrying how to pay the bills or where their next meal is coming from.TheArmed Forces Pay Actwould ensure that military personnel will not be denied what they are owed because of Republicans’refusal to negotiate. The brave men and women of our military should not suffer the consequences of a shutdown they did not cause.”
On October 1, 2025, the U.S. federal government shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations—meaning 1.3 million active-duty personnel and over 750,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel are still required to serve without pay. The Trump Administration directed the Pentagon to move approximately $4.5 billion from military research and development accounts to cover payroll costs for military personnel, but the legality and sustainability of that measure is unclear. The Administration has announced plans to resort to similar tactics for the next pay period.
TheArmed Forces Pay Actwould provide mandatory funding for fiscal year 2026 during a lapse in appropriations, guaranteeing pay for all active-duty and reserve servicemembers, as well as all civilian employees of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the majority of the Intelligence Community. The effort would apply retroactively to September 30, 2025, ensuring no interruption in pay for those affected.
The legislation improves upon alternative military pay bills introduced this year and in previous years by closing a loophole that inadvertently excluded certain members of the reserve component, and by removing broad discretionary language that allowed agency heads to decide which employees to pay—ensuring automatic pay coverage for those eligible.
In addition to Duckworth, Coons, Schumer, Murray and Reed, this legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Full text of the bill is available onSenator Duckworth’s website.
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