Senate Republicans try to fast-track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown

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Schumer: Return to 1,547-page spending bill to avoid shutdown

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Congress to pass the 1,547-page spending bill that died with opposition of President-elect Donald Trump this week.

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans are making an effort to ensure military members are paid during a potential partial government shutdown as Congress inches closer to the midnight deadline on Saturday morning. 

Three Senate sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, is leading an attempt to "hotline" a bill to make sure all armed service branches are paid in the event of a partial government shutdown. 

A hotline is a procedure used by senators usually to pass procedural motions or relatively noncontroversial measures. The practice allows bills or motions to pass with often very little or no public debate at all. 

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Sen. Dan Sullivan is leading an effort to fast track a bill to ensure military pay during a shutdown.

Sullivan will take the Senate floor to make a live request for unanimous consent to consider the measure at 6 p.m. 

The bill is entitled the Pay Our Troops Act. It is cosponsored by Republican Sens. Lisa Murskowski of Alaska, Ted Budd and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Steve Daines of Montana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and JD Vance of Ohio. 

A spokesperson for Murkowski told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Senator Murkowski is adamant that our Armed Forces should not worry about their paycheck or their mission to keep Americans safe because of Congressional politics. This is non-negotiable for her."

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski is a cosponsor of the bill. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for JDRF)

The effort is extending to the House side again as well, where Fox News Digital was told that Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., is pressing for a vote on the version she introduced in the House. 

"We’re obviously pushing to keep the government open, but as a backup plan, we need to be providing reassurance to our military," Kiggans said, adding she has spoken with House GOP leaders about getting a vote on her bill.

One Republican source told Fox News Digital that they expect Senate Democrats to object to the request, noting that they have done so in the past. 

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The bill would provide pay for the military during a shutdown. (REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili)

Republicans previously sought to pass this bill in September 2023, with Sullivan and Cruz requesting it on the floor. However, this effort was blocked by a Democrat objector. 

At the time, Sullivan said in a statement, "There is precedent--very strong precedent--on this very bill, this commonsense bill that has historically received the strong support from both sides of the aisle and in both Houses." 

"Facing an imminent government shutdown in 2013, which ended up lasting 16 days, this bill, the Pay Our Military Act, was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate and unanimously by the U.S. House and signed by the President. Congress recognized then the importance of uninterrupted military pay for our military members and their families."   

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A government shutdown looms as Republicans struggle to put together a comprehensive spending package. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Accountable Tech)

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After two stopgap spending bills have been scrapped in the House, a partial government shutdown is looking more and more likely, leading some to prepare for the worst. 

While Republicans in the lower chamber are searching for a deal that is both approved by President-elect Donald Trump and has the votes to pass the House, Senate Democrats have reiterated that they are only willing to consider the original short-term spending bill that was released earlier in the week before billionaire Elon Musk led a public campaign against it. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 as of Thursday and continues to climb rapidly. 

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.