Christopher Coons (D-DE)
Armed Forces Pay Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 27 Democratic cosponsors · See all 27 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Armed Forces Pay Act of 2025. It provides ongoing funding for military pay and pay for specific intelligence community civilian employees during a government shutdown. The funding covers members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, and civilian employees of the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Central Intelligence Agency. The funding under this Act lasts until regular appropriations are enacted or until September 30, 2026, whichever happens first. It also treats the appropriated funds as specifically authorized by Congress for intelligence activities during fiscal year 2026.
Yes
- Scored +8
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
Active service members and military personnel are heavily protected from financial disruption during government shutdowns.
- Scored +8
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill ensures continuous pay and allowances for military service members during potential government shutdowns.
- Scored +5
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Younger adults serving in the armed forces benefit directly from guaranteed pay during funding lapses.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 2(a)(1): This provision provides ongoing pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces, including reservists, if a government shutdown happens. This is positive because it ensures our service members continue to receive their pay and can support their families without interruption.
-
Section 2(a)(2): This provision provides ongoing pay and allowances for civilian employees of the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Central Intelligence Agency during a government shutdown. This is positive because these workers will not have to worry about missing paychecks while continuing their duties for the country.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2(a): While this bill helps certain workers, it only covers members of the Armed Forces and specific civilian employees in defense and intelligence. It leaves out other federal government employees, which could be viewed as a negative burden since those other workers are left unprotected during a government shutdown.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Active service members and military personnel are heavily protected from financial disruption during government shutdowns. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Younger adults serving in the armed forces benefit directly from guaranteed pay during funding lapses.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill ensures continuous pay and allowances for military service members during potential government shutdowns.
- 11/3/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/30/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
- 26 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Michael BennetDemocrat · Colorado
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Catherine Cortez MastoDemocrat · Nevada
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada
Charles SchumerDemocrat · New York
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island
Mark WarnerDemocrat · Virginia