Pay Our Patriots Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6044
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-11-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-07T09:05:46Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The "Pay Our Patriots Act" (H.R. 6044) aims to ensure that members of the U.S. Armed Forces and certain essential employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continue to receive their pay and benefits during periods when the federal government faces a lapse in funding, commonly known as a government shutdown. This prevents disruptions to military operations and national air safety.
Key Provisions
- Continuing Appropriations: During a "covered lapse in appropriations" (a period without funding for the Armed Forces or FAA starting after the bill's enactment), funds are automatically drawn from the U.S. Treasury to cover pay and allowances for eligible personnel. These funds are provided at the same rate as before the lapse began.
- Duration: The funding lasts until either regular budget legislation (an appropriations act or continuing resolution) is passed, or the end of the fiscal year in which the lapse starts, whichever comes first.
- Payment Processes: The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security (for relevant military components), and Secretary of Transportation (for FAA) must continue to approve and issue payments as if full funding were available. These funds are immediately usable and cannot be cut or reduced through budget sequestration (automatic spending cuts).
- Definitions:
- Covered Employees: Includes active-duty members of the Armed Forces (including reserves) and select FAA civilian workers deemed essential for safe air operations, such as air traffic controllers, safety inspectors, and support technicians.
- Covered Pay and Allowances: Encompasses regular pay, benefits, bonuses, and retirement pay that these employees are legally entitled to.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Under current law, during a government shutdown, military members typically continue receiving pay through reserved funds, but many civilian employees (including some FAA staff) may be furloughed without pay, though they receive back pay later. This bill introduces automatic, immediate funding specifically for essential FAA personnel and reinforces military pay guarantees, eliminating delays or uncertainties for these groups.
- It creates a new, targeted contingency fund mechanism that bypasses the need for emergency legislation during shutdowns, marking a proactive shift from reactive measures used in past lapses.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS, particularly for Coast Guard elements), and Department of Transportation (DOT, overseeing FAA) would face reduced operational disruptions, maintaining readiness and safety without needing ad-hoc approvals. This could lower administrative burdens during budget disputes.
- Citizens: Enhances public safety by ensuring uninterrupted air traffic control and aviation oversight, potentially preventing delays or risks in commercial and general aviation. Military families gain financial stability, reducing economic strain during shutdowns.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though sustained military pay could support ongoing U.S. defense commitments abroad, indirectly bolstering alliances and deterrence without funding gaps.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Armed Forces Members: Active-duty personnel and reserves, who benefit from guaranteed pay to maintain focus on duties.
- FAA Essential Employees: Air traffic controllers, inspectors, and technicians, whose roles are critical to airspace safety and who avoid furloughs.
- Federal Agencies: DoD, DHS, DOT, and FAA leadership, responsible for implementing payments.
- Taxpayers and Congress: Indirectly affected through automatic Treasury draws, which could influence future budget negotiations by limiting the leverage of shutdown threats.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes a statutory backstop for pay, drawing on Congress's constitutional authority over appropriations (Article I, Section 9), but it limits executive discretion during lapses by mandating immediate fund access. This could face challenges if seen as preempting broader shutdown rules under the Antideficiency Act (which prohibits spending unappropriated funds).
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's "power of the purse" but introduces a safeguard against self-imposed funding gaps, potentially raising questions about separation of powers if it constrains future legislative impasses.
- Political: Reduces the political pressure of shutdowns on national security and aviation by protecting key groups, possibly encouraging more compromise in appropriations debates. It highlights bipartisan priorities on military and infrastructure support but could be critiqued as narrowing the scope of shutdown accountability for non-essential functions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4], Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40]
Recent Actions
- 2025-11-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
- 2025-11-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
- 2025-11-13: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and 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.
- 2025-11-13: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and 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.
- 2025-11-13: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and 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.
- 2025-11-13: Introduced in House
- 2025-11-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Pay Our Patriots Act — issued 2025-11-13 — PDF (4 pages)