Congress passes Pay Our Military Act hours before government shutdown begins

President Barack Obama signed the Pay Our Military Act (H.R. 3210) on September 30, 2013, just hours before a government shutdown began at midnight. The House passed the bill 423-0 and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent, guaranteeing pay and allowances for active-duty military personnel and some Defense Department civilians during the 16-day funding lapse. The near-unanimous vote revealed bipartisan consensus that military pay should remain off-limits as a casualty of budget standoffs.