Gaetz introduces bill for military member pay

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJHG/WECP) - Congressman Matt Gaetz introduced a new bill Monday aiming at keeping pay for service members in the situation of a government shutdown.

In the “Armed Services Always Paid Act”, also known as the “ASAP Act”, all active-duty members of the Armed Forces, including reservists would still be paid if a debt ceiling agreement is not reached in time.

This comes after Biden reportedly criticized Republicans’ plans to raise the debt limit, addressing it as “wacko notions.”

House Speaker McCarthy spoke on the proposed bill, with mentions of taking back COVID-19 relief funds, cancelling money that could boost IRS staffing, and stop Biden’s effort to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers.

In a statement, Gaetz 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 discussions may take. My legislation, the Armed Services Always Paid (ASAP) Act, will ensure our military receives pay in the event of any lapse of appropriations.”

A full text of Gaetz’s act can be found here.