Senate fails to pass bill that would have paid troops during shutdown

The Senate failed to pass a stand-alone bill on Thursday that would pay troops, leaving service members once again with no clear idea of where their next paycheck will come from next week.

The Republican-backed bill, called the Shutdown Fairness Act, was intended to pay “excepted” federal employees, service members, and contractors who have gone unpaid as the government shutdown surpasses its third week. The vote tallied 54 to 45, failing to reach the required 60 votes to pass, with most Democrats voting against it.

Before the vote, Republicans blocked legislation from Democrats that would have also paid troops, but would have stopped the Trump administration from axing more federal employees.

The failed vote comes after Senate Democrats blocked the GOP’s stopgap funding measure to reop