HR 1551 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Guarantee Paychecks for America's Military Families Act

Introduced Apr 14, 2011 Originated House Sponsor Duncan Hunter R-CA

Latest action · Apr 14, 2011 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

IntroducedApr 14, 2011
Passed HouseNot reached
Passed SenateNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

Guarantee Paychecks for America's Military Families Act - Prioritizes, in the event that the public debt of the U.S. government reaches the statutory limit, the following obligations over all other obligations: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury to pay with legal tender the principal and interest on debt held by the public; (2) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to pay members of the Armed Forces the earned pay, allowances, and other compensation paid from military personnel accounts; and (3) the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out a contingency operation (as defined in existing provisions of federal military law), including the pay earned by civilian employees of the DOD and the Coast Guard serving in a combat zone (as defined in existing provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986).

Appropriates to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, for any period of lapsed appropriations, such amounts as may be necessary to allow such Secretaries to provide, during the period of lapsed appropriations and without interruption: (1) pay and allowances to members of Armed Forces, including reserve components thereof, who perform active service during the period of lapsed appropriations; and (2) pay to civilian employees of the DOD and the Coast Guard serving in a combat zone.

Defines "period of lapsed appropriations" as any period during which appropriations are not available due to the absence of the timely enactment of any Act or joint resolution (whether a general appropriations Act or an Act or joint resolution making continuing appropriations) appropriating funds for the payment of the pay and allowances of members of the Armed Forces or civilian employees of the DOD and Coast Guard.

Cosponsors 39

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 15, 2011 to Jun 21, 2011.

Seat	Cosponsor	Signed on
D-CA	Bob Filner	Apr 15, 2011
R-OH	Jim Jordan	Apr 15, 2011
R-ID	Raul R. Labrador	Apr 15, 2011
R-CA	Tom McClintock	Apr 15, 2011
R-MN	John Kline	May 4, 2011
R-NY	Michael G. Grimm	May 4, 2011
R-CA	Brian P. Bilbray	May 5, 2011
R-FL	Allen B. West	May 23, 2011
R-OH	Bob Gibbs	May 23, 2011
R-MN	Chip Cravaack	May 23, 2011
R-MI	Dan Benishek	May 23, 2011
R-FL	David Rivera	May 23, 2011
R-FL	Dennis A. Ross	May 23, 2011
R-PA	Glenn Thompson	May 23, 2011
R-SC	Joe Wilson	May 23, 2011
D-NC	Larry Kissell	May 23, 2011
R-MD	Roscoe G. Bartlett	May 23, 2011
R-TN	Scott DesJarlais	May 23, 2011
R-FL	Thomas J. Rooney	May 23, 2011
R-AR	Tim Griffin	May 23, 2011
R-SC	Trey Gowdy	May 23, 2011
R-IL	Adam Kinzinger	May 26, 2011
R-TN	David P. Roe	May 26, 2011
R-OH	Michael R. Turner	May 26, 2011
R-OH	Robert E. Latta	May 26, 2011
R-IN	Todd Young	May 26, 2011
R-PA	Tom Marino	May 26, 2011
R-OK	James Lankford	May 31, 2011
R-MS	Alan Nunnelee	Jun 2, 2011
R-NC	Howard Coble	Jun 2, 2011
R-VA	J. Randy Forbes	Jun 2, 2011
R-GA	Lynn A. Westmoreland	Jun 2, 2011
R-FL	Richard B. Nugent	Jun 2, 2011
R-VA	Robert J. Wittman	Jun 2, 2011
R-PA	Todd Russell Platts	Jun 2, 2011
R-MO	Billy Long	Jun 14, 2011
R-MO	Vicky Hartzler	Jun 16, 2011
R-OH	Bill Johnson	Jun 21, 2011
R-CA	Gary G. Miller	Jun 21, 2011

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

Chamber	Committee	What it did
House	Ways and Means Committee	Referred Apr 14, 2011
House	Appropriations Committee	Referred Apr 14, 2011

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

Apr 14, 2011Introduced in House
Apr 14, 2011Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution sets for the power of appropriations states that ``No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law. . . .'' In addition, Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 states that ``The Congress shall have the Power . . . to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States. . . .'' Also, Article I, section 8 of the United States Constitution (clauses 12, 13, 14, 16, and 18), which grants Congress the power to raise and support an Army; to provide and maintain a Navy; to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces; to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia; and to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the foregoing powers.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H2856.

Related bills 10

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
S 721	Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011	Related bill	Apr 4, 2011
S 724	Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011	Related bill	Apr 8, 2011
S 774	Enduring Support for Defenders of Freedom and Their Families Act	Related bill	Apr 8, 2011
S 777	Temporary Military Pay Act of 2011	Related bill	Apr 8, 2011
S 855	Pay Our Troops Act	Related bill	Apr 14, 2011

Show all 10 related bills

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced: To prioritize certain Government obligations for continued payment in the event that the statutory debt limit is reached, to appropriate funds for the pay and allowances of all members of the Armed Forces, and for those civilian employees of the Department of Defense and the Coast Guard serving in a combat zone, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced: Guarantee Paychecks for America's Military Families Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Economics and Public Finance.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Apr 14, 2011Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.