September 30, 2025
Mrs. Sykes (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Craig, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Whitesides, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Landsman, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. McDonald Rivet, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Olszewski, Ms. McBride, Ms. Elfreth, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Cuellar, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Goodlander, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Mr. Figures, and Ms. Schrier) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations
To ensure continuity of pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces in the event of a lapse in appropriations.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Pay Our Military Act
.
Sec. 2. Continuing appropriations for pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces
(a) In general
There are hereby appropriated for fiscal year 2026, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are not in effect, such sums as are necessary to provide pay and allowances to—
(1)
members of the Armed Forces, including the reserve components thereof, who perform active service or inactive-duty training during such period;
(2)
civilian employees of the Department of Defense (and the Department of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy) whom the Secretary concerned determines are providing support to members of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1); and
(3)
contractors of the Department of Defense (and the Department of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy) whom the Secretary concerned determines are providing support to members of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1).
(b) Termination
Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this Act shall be available until the first of the following occurs:
(1)
The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in subsection (a).
(2)
The enactment into law of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose.
(3)
January 1, 2027.
(c) Definitions
In this section:
(1)
The terms active service
, Armed Forces
, and inactive-duty training
have the meanings given such terms in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
(2)
The term reserve components
means the components named in section 10101 of title 10, United States Code.
(3)
The term Secretary concerned
means—
(A)
the Secretary of Defense with respect to the Department of Defense; and
(B)
the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to matters concerning the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy.