Senate Will Vote on Whether to Pay Troops During Shutdown

The United States Senate will vote on a measure to ensure that U.S. military servicemembers and other essential employees get paid during the government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) announced on Oct. 17. The essential employee funding bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Oct. 15. Johnson has stated that it would apply to “military, air traffic controllers, [Transportation Security Administration or] agents, law enforcement officers, and essential agency personnel.” “[Democrats] should at least agree to pay all the federal employees that are forced to continue working,” wrote Johnson on social media. His bill has been co-sponsored by several Republicans....