WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced a pair of bills to ensure that if the government shuts down, members of the military will get paid and members of Congress will not. Brown strongly opposes a government shutdown and is doing everything he can to ensure the government stays open. He has called on Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to keep the government open by passing a short-term continuing resolution for a few days, so Congress can continue working to reach a bipartisan deal. This is a bipartisan idea that was first proposed by Senate Republicans (here).

If McConnell forces the government to shut down by refusing to pass that bill, Brown says members of the military must get paid and members of Congress should not.  

“We are very close to a bipartisan agreement, and we owe it to the people we work for to keep working and get the job done. I’m joining Republicans and Democrats who are calling on Leader McConnell to keep the government open and allow us to pass a solution that gives Ohio businesses, military installations and families the certainty they deserve,” said Brown. “If Leader McConnell chooses to shut the government down, we must make sure that members of the military are still paid and members of Congress are not. The uncertainty created by Republican leadership is already hurting Ohio businesses, jeopardizing our military readiness, and forcing too many families to live in fear. We cannot let members of our military suffer any further because Washington Republicans refuse to govern.”

The No Government No Pay Act withhold the pay of members of Congress during a government shutdown. The Pay Our Military Act would ensure that even in the event of a government shutdown military personnel receive regular paychecks and related benefits.

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