(Corine Gatti, Headline USA) As political wrangling continued in Congress over the debt ceiling, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced legislation on Monday to cover the pay of service members, including reserves, in the event of a government shutdown.
The bill, which was cosponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace, R- S.C., titled the “Armed Services Always Paid Act,” proposed amending Title 37 of the United States Code to allow service members to receive payment without delay even during lapses in appropriations, the Daily Caller reported.
This would include “basic pay, bonuses and special pay, allowances and any other forms of compensation available for members of the armed forces under this title or otherwise paid from the military personnel accounts,” the document said.
“While President Joe Biden and lawmakers in Congress negotiate the debt limit plan, I hope we can all agree that our military service members should be paid without delay, regardless of how long their discussions may take,” Gaetz told the outlet.
The lawmaker said ASAP is a critical piece of legislation that would ensure military members are never left without pay because of political brinksmanship or budgetary disputes.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has proposed the Limit, Save, Grow Act to reduce entitlement and discretionary spending as a way to raise the debt ceiling after the U.S. reached the $31.4 trillion limit on Jan. 19. McCarthy said on Fox News in January that Congress needs to sit down together.
“Let’s look at the places that we can change our behavior. Why would we sit back and be so arrogant to say, ‘No, there’s no waste in government?’”
McCarthy, who needs 218 votes in order for the Limit, Save, Grow Act to pass, requested last week to push federal spending to 2022 levels and capping annual increases at roughly 1% would save $4.5 trillion over the next decade.
Gaetz said he would support McCarthy’s plan, if Medicaid recipients work 30 hours per week, compared to 20 hours in the McCarthy plan.
 will introduce legislation Monday to cover the pay of service members in case of a government shutdown.){kind=link}