President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans preemptively protected U.S. troop pay as Senate Democrats continued to block nine continuing resolution votes, leading the Republican National Committee to denounce Democrats' use of "our service members as political leverage."
"Radical Democrats would have allowed our troops to go unpaid if President Trump didn't step in," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters wrote in a statement Wednesday. "While Democrats are busy bending over backward for illegal immigrants, President Trump is protecting America's heroes."
"Democrats shamelessly tried to use our service members as political leverage, but President Trump stood up for the men and women who defend our nation."
The statement came minutes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rebuked Senate Democrats in six of the 10 states with the largest military populations.
"Democrats have voted nine times to block pay for the troops," Johnson told the media in a news conference airing in full on the Newsmax2 streaming platform. "They don't seem to care at all."
"Service members thousands of miles from home, trying to make rent, take care of their families, are being used as pawns in this insidious political game."
Johnson noted six of the 10 states with the largest paid military populations are dominated by both Senate seats held by Democrats. Oct. 15 is the first payday for service members during the 15-day shutdown foisted on America by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Republicans and Trump have taken steps to ensure troops continue to receive pay during the shutdown, but Johnson called out the following Democrat-led states specifically:
- California: 157,000 active-duty personnel; Democrat Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla
- Virginia: 119,000 personnel; Democrat Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner
- Georgia: 65,000 personnel; Democrat Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock
- Washington: 57,000 personnel; Democrat Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell
- Hawaii: 43,000 personnel; Democrat Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz
- Colorado: 35,000 personnel; Democrat Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet
Johnson also gave "dishonorable mention" to New York, where 17,000 active-duty service members are based, criticizing Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Sen. Schumer — whom he called "the architect of the shutdown."
The speaker credited Trump with helping ensure temporary troop payments through executive action but warned it is only a short-term measure.
"That's not permanent," Johnson said. "Democrat obstruction means troops will miss a full paycheck at the end of the month."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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