H.R. 5401: Pay Our Troops Act of 2026
Sponsor
Jennifer Kiggans
Republican · VA-2
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Sep 16, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
Troops should keep getting paid in a shutdown
Why it matters
If a fiscal year 2026 shutdown hits, H.R. 5401 keeps pay and allowances flowing to active-service troops — and to some civilian staff and contractors who support them — until Congress funds the government or January 1, 2027.
H.R. 5401 is a shutdown backstop for military pay in fiscal year 2026. If Congress lets funding lapse, the bill says money would still be available to pay active-service members of the Armed Forces, including reservists serving on active duty.
The bill also reaches beyond uniformed service members. It allows continued pay for certain Defense Department and Coast Guard civilian employees, plus some contractors, if the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of Homeland Security decides they are supporting those active-service troops.
There is no listed dollar cap. Instead, the bill provides whatever sums are necessary from Treasury funds not otherwise appropriated during the shutdown period.
That makes this a targeted patch, not a full government-funding bill. It keeps specific military-related pay running, but other federal workers and contractors outside the covered categories could still face disruption.
The authority is temporary. It ends once Congress passes funding for those purposes, passes a measure that leaves those purposes out, or the calendar reaches January 1, 2027.
H.R. 5401 Bill Summary
What H.R. 5401 actually does.
Active-duty troops keep receiving pay
During a fiscal year 2026 funding lapse, H.R. 5401 provides whatever sums are necessary to keep pay and allowances flowing to Armed Forces members performing active service, including reserve component members on active duty.
Some military support civilians stay paid too
Defense Department civilian employees and Coast Guard civilian employees can be covered if the relevant secretary determines they are supporting active-service troops.
Certain contractors can also be covered
The bill extends shutdown-period pay authority to some Defense Department and Coast Guard contractors, but only when the relevant secretary determines they support covered active-service members.
Treasury funds fill the gap during a shutdown
The bill does not set a fixed appropriation amount. It draws whatever sums are necessary from money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated while the funding lapse lasts.
The backstop expires automatically
The authority ends when Congress passes funding for the covered purposes, passes a measure without that funding, or reaches January 1, 2027 — whichever happens first.
Who benefits from H.R. 5401?
Active-service troops serving through a shutdown
If you're on active service during a fiscal year 2026 funding lapse, H.R. 5401 is designed to keep your pay and allowances coming even while the broader budget fight continues.
Reservists called up to active duty
Reserve component members are explicitly included when they are performing active service, so activation orders would not automatically mean a shutdown-related pay interruption.
Civilian staff keeping military operations running
Some Defense Department and Coast Guard civilian employees could continue being paid if agency leadership determines their work directly supports active-service troops.
Contractors tied to troop support
Certain military and Coast Guard contractors may also remain paid during a shutdown if they are officially classified as supporting the covered service members.
Who is affected by H.R. 5401?
Defense and Homeland Security leadership
The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security would decide which civilian and contractor roles count as troop support, giving them major discretion over who is covered.
Federal workers outside military support roles
H.R. 5401 is narrow. Workers and contractors outside the covered troop-support categories are not included, so their pay status would still depend on the broader shutdown and appropriations process.
Contractors without a support designation
Even inside the Defense Department or Coast Guard orbit, not every contractor is automatically covered. Payment would hinge on whether the relevant secretary classifies that work as support for active-service troops.
HR5401 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Sep 16, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
About the Sponsor
Jennifer Kiggans
Republican, Virginia's 2nd congressional district · 3 years in Congress
Committees: Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, Armed Services
View full profile →
Cosponsors (210)
This bill has 210 cosponsors: 81 Democrats, 129 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 45 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, and 42 more.
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Nancy Mace
Republican · SC
Thomas Kean
Republican · NJ
Dan Crenshaw
Republican · TX
Zachary Nunn
Republican · IA
Anna Paulina Luna
Republican · FL
Marie Perez
Democrat · WA
James Moylan
Republican · GU
Juan Ciscomani
Republican · AZ
Robert Wittman
Republican · VA
Lauren Boebert
Republican · CO
Cory Mills
Republican · FL
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Appropriations Committee
24 of 62 committee members cosponsored
20 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 5401 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Appropriations
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Introduced
- Sep 16, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
Sep 16, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with status, text, actions, cosponsors, and committee referral information.
The bill expressly references 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(4) for the definition of members of the Armed Forces.
Official Defense Department budget and appropriations office relevant to how military pay would be administered during a funding lapse.
DFAS is the official military pay administrator, making this directly relevant to questions about troop pay continuing during a shutdown.
The bill covers Coast Guard-related civilian and contractor support under Homeland Security, and this is the Coast Guard’s official pay and personnel hub.
The Secretary of Homeland Security is the relevant official for Coast Guard support determinations under the bill.
Official source to check whether CBO later publishes a cost estimate for H.R. 5401 or related shutdown pay legislation.
Official repository for enrolled bills and legislative text useful for confirming the final statutory text and appropriations language.
H.R. 5401 Common Questions
What does H.R. 5401 do?
It keeps pay and allowances flowing during a fiscal year 2026 shutdown for active-service troops, plus some civilian staff and contractors who are determined to support them.
Would troops still get paid during a shutdown under H.R. 5401?
Yes — if they are serving on active duty. The bill covers members of the Armed Forces performing active service during a fiscal year 2026 funding lapse.
Are reservists included in H.R. 5401?
Yes. Reservists are covered when they are performing active service, so activation matters more than reserve status by itself.
Would civilian Pentagon or Coast Guard employees be covered?
Some would. They can be paid during the shutdown if the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of Homeland Security determines their work supports covered active-service troops.
Does H.R. 5401 cover military contractors too?
Yes, but not automatically. Defense and Coast Guard contractors are covered only if the relevant secretary determines they support the active-service members covered by the bill.
How long would this shutdown pay authority last?
Until Congress passes funding for the covered purposes, passes a measure without that funding, or January 1, 2027 — whichever comes first.
Does H.R. 5401 set a spending cap?
No. The bill provides whatever sums are necessary from Treasury funds not otherwise appropriated, so the total cost would depend on the length of a shutdown and who is covered.
What is the status of H.R. 5401?
H.R. 5401 was introduced by Rep. Jennifer Kiggans and, according to the bill metadata provided here, has 210 cosponsors. It has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
Based on H.R. 5401 bill text
H.R. 5401 Bill Text
“Making continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a Government shutdown.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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