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Floor Speech

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Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I was coming down here to try to pass my bill, the Pay Our Military Act. This bill would have made sure that we are paying our military, including our Coast Guard, in the event of a government shutdown.

A few hours ago, this looked like we really were going to have to do this. We ran the hotline on the Republican side. Every Republican Senator voted for this. And it makes sense.

This has usually been a bipartisan issue. If there is a government shutdown, which none of us want, we need to pay the men and women who are on the frontlines, in our country, overseas, many in dangerous situations defending our freedom--to make sure they are paid, to make sure they are paid.

The good news is, it looks like, just walking onto the floor here, the House is overwhelmingly passing the continuing resolution. It is not, I am sure, the deal I would have negotiated, but, nevertheless, it looks like there is a likelihood of that coming over here tonight soon, we hope, after the passage. It is likely going to pass in the House overwhelmingly and will likely pass here in the Senate later this evening. So we will likely not have a government shutdown, which is good.

And our military, who is doing a great job around the world, won't be subject to this crazy situation, which has happened before: The government shuts down, and the young men and women defending our freedom all around the world are not getting paid.

So with that, I am not going to ask for unanimous consent on this bill. I was hopeful nobody was going to block it. I am not sure if anyone was going to block it. At prior times, when we had been barreling toward a government shutdown, the Senate has actually taken action in a bipartisan way to pass this legislation--no troops getting their pay cut off. I was hopeful that was going to happen tonight. Maybe it would have; maybe it wouldn't. I am not going to bring it up.

What I want to do is just wish our troops a Merry Christmas.

You know, a lot of people are going to be serving away from their families, serving in dangerous parts of the world. I will tell you, in my great State, the great State of Alaska, our military has been really, really busy. It doesn't make a lot of news in the lower 48, but we have had two Russian incursions into our ADIZ in just the last week--young men and women flying in the middle of the night, going and intercepting Russian bear bombers and fighters. They are doing a great job, a professional job. It is dangerous work.

So to all of our troops, Merry Christmas. Keep up the great work. I am really glad that I am not having to bring my bill to pay all of you.

If the government shuts down, and if we ever have another government shutdown, I sure hope my Pay Our Military Act will get unanimous, bipartisan support.

If the U.S. Congress can't keep funding our government, the men and women in our military should not suffer the consequences when they are defending our freedom around the world.

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