WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rejected voting on a standalone bill to fund US military members’ salaries Wednesday, as the federal government shutdown entered its second week.

Johnson pointed out during a press conference that the seven-week stopgap funding measure passed by the House on Sept. 19 would have fully funded troops’ pay.

“We already had that vote,” the House speaker said. “Every Republican and at least one Democrat had the common sense to say, ‘Of course, we want the government to stay in operation. Of course, we want to pay our troops and our air traffic controllers and our Border Patrol agents, TSA, and everybody else.’” 4

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the only member of his party to break ranks and vote for full funding of the government until

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