On the recordJanuary 21, 2018
as we enter day 2 of the Trump shutdown, I am here on the floor again imploring my colleagues to take action right now on something we can all agree on--that we ensure this shutdown and the partisan gridlock do not harm the troops who are in harm's way right now, holding the line, defending our Nation. We all agree they have enough to worry about without having to worry if their paycheck will come in on time this month. We need to take immediate action to pass the Pay Our Military Act to eliminate any threat of our military personnel not being paid or, even worse, our military families not receiving death benefits when their loved one has made that last full measure of devotion for this country. We have work to do. We have to do better by our constituents and this great Nation. But in the meantime, let's at least take this simple, commonsense step that we all agree on. Let's remove any possibility that military pay and, even worse, military death benefits will be used and held hostage as political leverage. That would be unconscionable. Let's take this off the table right now. The reality is that quickly passing the Pay Our Military Act is the least we can do. We must continue working for as long as it takes to develop and pass a bipartisan solution to fund our government. However, if acting now to ensure military pay and death benefits continue during this shutdown brings relief to even just one military family, that would be worth it.…
