A Republican congressman's attempts to get a vote on his long-stalled bill mandating that servicemembers be paid even if the government shuts down has pit him against the White House and his own congressional leadership. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas re-introduced a bill that has been stuck in committee since he first filed it in March -- the last time party differences over a federal money issue threatened military pay.
The issue in March was ending the continuing resolution and approving the annual budget. Now it's whether the national debt ceiling should be raised beyond the $14.3 trillion allowed by law.
"We need to make sure the military, people in harm's way that are dodging bullets, never have to have it cross their minds that their paychecks may not come in," Gohmert said during a joint press conference with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who filed similar legislation in April. Like Gohmert's bill, Hutchison's also has been stuck in committee.
"I think if we can ever get these bills to the floor, there'll be no question they'll become law," she said. "They'll pass both houses of Congress and the president will sign the bill."
Gohmert on Thursday filed a so-called discharge petition in the House that would get the bill, currently still in committee, onto the floor for a vote without the approval of Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner.
