[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5673]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            PAY THE MILITARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Gohmert) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, we are here because the last Congress did 
not do its job and for the first time since 1974 didn't have a budget. 
So we're having to do last year's work in addition to this year's work. 
And in the meantime, we look around at who is actually being hurt. And 
there were many of us that were inquiring over the last month, all 
right, if there is a shutdown, is the military going to be paid?
  Well, we find out the military is essential, the military will be 
working in the event there is a shutdown. But then as recent as last 
week, we find out they definitely will not be paid until after a 
shutdown is over. They will get paid for sure, but it will be after a 
shutdown. But they will be working.
  In talking to many people on active duty, I find that things haven't 
changed a great deal since 30 years ago when I was in the Army. There 
are lots of people in our military that are having to live paycheck to 
paycheck. They don't get paid all that much. But they are standing 
between us and harm to this Nation, even its very existence.
  There are those who want to take this out. At the end of last week, 
Congressman Jack Kingston, John Carter, Steve King, Michele Bachmann, a 
number of people involved, we wanted to ensure that if the Democrats 
say we don't care--for example, gee, providing Federal tax dollars to 
fund abortion in the District of Columbia is more important than 
anything else. We wanted a vehicle to make sure our military gets paid 
on time so while they are out in harm's way, they don't have to worry 
about it.
  We filed a bill the end of last week, and it's H.R. 1297. I contacted 
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's office and Jim Inhofe's office, and they 
had it filed the first of the week. Down there it's Senate bill 724. 
Now we are told, well, gee, there is a procedural problem, because even 
though in the first two paragraphs each one starts with, ``to 
appropriate, to appropriate,'' later in the bill, very short, three 
pages, it says, ``make available funding.'' That can easily be remedied 
by a manager's amendment to change to ``shall appropriate.'' Easily 
handled.
  A rule was passed this week that this could be brought to the floor 
within 24 hours. That part is waived. There is no reason that the 
military cannot be paid on time. That can be wiped away from their 
concerns. But our leadership was good enough last week to say we are 
taking care of it. We are going to make sure it's taken care of.
  The best solution is what was done yesterday. The military is fully 
paid through the end of the year. That's the best way to go. It makes 
sure there is no glitches at all. But if our Democratic friends down 
the Hall are going to stand in the way of having the military funded 
for the rest of the year, then we need to bring this bill, H.R. 1297, 
to the floor today and make sure our military does not have to worry: 
your pay, your allowances will be taken care of on time.
  Our military that are out in harm's way, as we heard about Marcus 
Luttrell and other heroes, they're taken care of. Your families back 
home get your paycheck. They're cared for. That's the responsible thing 
to do. Secretary Bob Gates said, ``As a historian, it occurred to me 
that the smart thing to do for a government was always to pay the guys 
with the guns first.'' That is a smart thing to do. Let's take care of 
the people that are taking care of this country's protection.

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