By Eric Stock
WASHINGTON – As the federal government shutdown rolled into its second day on Sunday, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill, took to the Senate floor to call for all military personnel to receive pay during the shutdown.
“I implore my colleagues to take action right now on something we should all be able to agree on: making sure this partisan gridlock does not harm the American troops who are holding the line right now to defend our nation,” Duckworth said. “We all agree that our men and women in uniform have enough to worry about without having to wonder whether their paycheck will come on time this month.”
Duckworth is an original co-sponsor of The Pay Our Military Act, which was authored by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and offered as an amendment by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., on Saturday.
“No military family who is struggling with the utter grief of losing a loved one should have to experience even more pain and hardship,” Duckworth said. “The fact that Senate Republicans would block this bill is simply shameful.”
From the Lincoln Historic Home in Springfield to Scott Air Force Base, non-essential federal offices in Illinois are being affected by the lack of a federal budget. A one-month plan to keep the government open failed to pass the Senate Friday.
Some of Illinois’ congressional Republicans said Illinois’ Democratic senators lack of support for the House plan also affects 300,000 Illinois children that take part in the federal Child Heartache Insurance Program.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
Illinois Radio Network contributed to this report.
