House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., who was presiding over the chamber, gaveled out of session before Elfreth could finish reading her request.
Active duty service members are deemed "essential" and so must keep working during the government shutdown. But they and other federal employees are expected to miss pay until the government is funded — at which point they would receive back pay from the checks skipped during the shutdown.
The House passed a GOP-led CR largely along party lines on Sept. 19. It would keep current government funding levels roughly flat until Nov. 21 to give Congress more time to strike a deal on fiscal year 2026 spending levels.
The measure is free from other policy riders, save for about $88 million toward enhanced security for lawmakers, the White House and the judicial branch — which has bipartisan support.
But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in those government funding discussions, are calling for both an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies and an end to Republicans' recent Medicaid cuts in exchange for their support.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and Rep. Brian Steil for a press conference on the tenth day of a government shutdown on Oct. 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
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"You can't do that in a pro forma session. So again, it's just to get attention," Emmer said.
And while the GOP has been largely united on the issue, at least two House Republicans, Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., have publicly pushed for standalone votes on military pay.
Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days called "pro forma" sessions to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.
Pro forma sessions can also be opportunities for lawmakers to give brief speeches or introduce legislation that they otherwise would not have.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-blocks-dems-military-pay-bill-government-shutdown-threatens-checks