Paying Our Military - Bills Remain in Committees

[Wendy Brown]

 - Status as of Friday, April 08, 2011, 6:17 p.m. based on conversations with representatives of Senator Pat Toomey’s Office over the course of the day and ongoing research. 

 

Leverage; getting lost in the budget crisis; immoral; or ignoring the federal government’s duty to provide for the common defense these Bills were not fast tracked and remain in Committees.

 

Bills to temporarily fund our military in the event of a government shutdown:

Congressional Bill: H.R. 1297, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Louie Gohmert (Texas-R-1) March 31.

According to Washington Watch this has been referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 

Senate Bill: S. 724, Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act, introduced by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) April 6.

 This bill according to Hutchison’s website "assures that, in the event of a Federal Government shutdown, our nation’s men and women in uniform would continue to receive their military pay and allowances."

"This bill not only protects all active duty men and women, but also those who serve in the Coast Guard and Reserve Components. Additionally, a provision is included to give the Secretary of Defense the discretion to allow those who serve as DOD civilians or contractors in support of our men and women in uniform to continue to be paid as well."

 

72 Senators are now behind this Bill.  They are:

 

1. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

2. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

3. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)

4. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

5. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

6. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

7. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

8. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)

9. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)

10. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

11. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)

12. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

13. Senator Robert Casey (D-PA)

14. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

15. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)

16. Senator Dan Coats (R-IN)

17. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)

18. Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)

19. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)

20. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)

21. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)

22. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)

23. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

24. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)

25. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC)

26. Senator Richard Durbin (R-IL)

27. Senator John Ensign (R-NV)

28. Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY)

29. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA)

30. Senator Al Franken (D-MN)

31. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

32. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

33. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)

34. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

35. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND)

36. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI)

37. Senator James Inhofe (R-Ok)

38. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

39. Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE)

40. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)

41. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD)

42. Senator John Kerry (D-MA)

43. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)

44. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

45. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

46. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)

47. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

48. Senator Michael Lee (R-UT)

49. Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)

50. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

51. Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

52. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

53. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

54. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

55. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS)

56. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

57. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)

58. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)

59. Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)

60. Senator James Risch (R-ID)

61. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS)

62. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

63. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)

64. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)

65. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)

66. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

67. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

68. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)

69. Senator John Thune (R-SD)

70. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)

71. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)

72. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)

73. Senator David Vitter (R-LA)

74. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)

75. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)

 

Yet this Bill remains in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  I do not see it on the schedule for this Committee. 

 

It has been put to me by different people that “The Chairmen take their lead from their leader.” and that Harry Reid has no desire for this Bill to reach the Senate floor.  If either statement is true, SHAME ON THEM AND ALL WHO FOLLOW THEM!

 

This Committee:

Democratic Members

	DANIEL K. INOUYE Hawaii, Chairman Defense (Chairman), Commerce, Justice, Science, Homeland Security, Labor, HHS, and Education, State, Foreign Operations, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	PATRICK J. LEAHY Vermont State, Foreign Operations (Chairman), Commerce, Justice, Science, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Transportation/HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	TOM HARKIN Iowa Labor, HHS, Education (Chairman), Agriculture and Rural Development, Defense, Energy and Water Development, State, Foreign Operations, Transportation/HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	BARBARA A. MIKULSKI Maryland Commerce, Justice, Science (Chairman), Defense, Interior,  Transportation/HUD, Labor-HHS, Education, State, Foreign Operations Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	HERB KOHL Wisconsin Agriculture and Rural Development (Chairman), Commerce, Justice, Science, Defense, Interior, Labor, HHS and Education, Transportation /HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	PATTY MURRAY Washington Transportation/HUD (Chairman), Defense, Energy and Water Development, Homeland Security, Labor, HHS and Education, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	DIANNE FEINSTEIN California Energy and Water Development (Chairman), Interior, Agriculture and Rural Development, Commerce, Justice, Science, Defense,  Transportation/HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	RICHARD J. DURBIN Illinois Financial Services and General Government (Chairman),  Defense, Labor, HHS and Education, State, Foreign Operations, Transportation/HUD, Energy and Water Development Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	TIM JOHNSON South Dakota Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (Chairman), Agriculture and Rural Development, Defense, Energy and Water Development, Interior, Transportation/HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	MARY L. LANDRIEU Louisiana Homeland Security (Chairman), Energy and Water Development,  Labor, HHS and Education, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, State, Foreign Operations, Interior Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	JACK REED Rhode Island Interior (Chairman), Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Labor, HHS, Education, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	FRANK R. LAUTENBERG New Jersey Homeland Security (Vice Chairman),Commerce, Justice, Science, Transportation/HUD, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government,  State, Foreign Operations Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	BEN NELSON Nebraska Legislative Branch (Chairman), Agriculture and Rural Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Commerce, Justice, Science Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	MARK PRYOR Arkansas Agriculture and Rural Development, Commerce, Justice, Science, Labor, HHS and Education,  Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	JON TESTER Montana Energy and Water Development, Homeland Security, Interior, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	SHERROD BROWN Ohio Agriculture and Rural Development,  Commerce, Justice, Science, Labor, HHS, and Education, Legislative Branch, State, Foreign Operations Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters

Republican Members

	THAD COCHRAN Mississippi, Vice Chairman Defense (Ranking), Homeland Security, Agriculture and Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Interior, Labor, HHS and Education Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	MITCH MCCONNELL Kentucky Agriculture and Rural Development, State, Foreign Operations, Commerce, Justice, Science, Defense, Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	RICHARD C. SHELBY Alabama Labor, HHS, Education (Ranking), Energy and Water Development, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, Justice, Science, Transportation/ HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON Texas Commerce, Justice, Science (Ranking), Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy and Water Development, Labor, HHS and Education, Transportation/HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	LAMAR ALEXANDER Tennessee Energy and Water (Ranking), Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Labor, HHS, and Education, Defense, Transportation/HUD Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	SUSAN COLLINS Maine Transportation/HUD (Ranking), Defense, Energy and Water Development, Commerce, Justice, Science, Agriculture, Interior Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	LISA MURKOWSKI Alaska Interior (Ranking), Commerce, Justice, Science, Homeland Security, Interior, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Energy and Water Development Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	LINDSEY GRAHAM South Carolina State, Foreign Operations (Ranking), Defense, Energy and Water, Commerce, Justice, Science, Labor, HHS, Legislative Branch Visit website Financial Disclosure Letters
	MARK KIRK Illinois Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (Ranking), Financial Services and General Govt., Labor, HHS, State, Foreign Operations, Transportation/HUD Visit website
	DAN COATS Indiana Homeland  Security (Ranking), Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, State, Foreign Operations, Transportation/HUD Visit website
	ROY BLUNT Missouri Agriculture and Rural Development (Ranking), Interior, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, State, Foreign Operations, Transporation/HUD Visit website
	JERRY MORAN Kansas Financial Services & General Govt. (Ranking), Agriculture and Rural Development, Homeland Security, Labor, HHS, Transportation/HUD Visit website
	JOHN HOEVEN North Dakota Legislative Branch (Ranking), Agriculture and Rural Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Interior, State/Foreign Operations Visit website
	RON JOHNSON Wisconsin Commerce, Justice, Science, Interior, Labor, HHS, and Education, State/Foreign Operations, Transportation/HUD Visit website

[Thomas Brown]

Thanks for all the updates Wendy.  You are making me look lazy :-)