I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1551 
To prioritize certain Government obligations for continued payment in the 
event that the statutory debt limit is reached, to appropriate funds 
for the pay and allowances of all members of the Armed Forces, and 
for those civilian employees of the Department of Defense and the 
Coast Guard serving in a combat zone, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2011 
Mr. HUNTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Appro-
priations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prioritize certain Government obligations for continued 
payment in the event that the statutory debt limit is 
reached, to appropriate funds for the pay and allowances 
of all members of the Armed Forces, and for those 
civilian employees of the Department of Defense and 
the Coast Guard serving in a combat zone, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Guarantee Paychecks 
for America’s Military Families Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘Armed Forces’’ means the 
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast 
Guard, including reserve components thereof. 
(2) The term ‘‘combat zone’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 112(c)(2) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986. 
(3) The term ‘‘contingency operation’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 101(a)(13) of 
title 10, United States Code. 
(4) The term ‘‘military personnel accounts’’ 
mean the military personnel, reserve personnel, and 
National Guard personnel accounts of the Depart-
ment of Defense, generally title I of an annual De-
partment of Defense appropriations Act, and the 
corresponding accounts for the Department of 
Homeland Security used to provide pay and allow-
ances for members of the Coast Guard. 
(5) The term ‘‘pay and allowances’’ means 
basic pay, bonuses and special pay, allowances and 
any other forms of compensation available for mem-
bers of the Armed Forces under title 37, United 
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States Code, or otherwise paid from military per-
sonnel accounts. 
(6) The term ‘‘period of lapsed appropriations’’ 
means any period during which appropriations are 
not available due to the absence of the timely enact-
ment of any Act or joint resolution (whether a gen-
eral appropriations Act or and Act or joint resolu-
tion making continuing appropriations) appro-
priating funds for the payment of the pay and allow-
ances of members of the Armed Forces or civilian 
employees of the Department of Defense and the 
Coast Guard. 
SEC. 3. PRIORITY GIVEN TO PAYMENT OF CERTAIN GOV-
ERNMENT OBLIGATIONS IN EVENT DEBT 
LIMIT IS REACHED. 
In the event that the debt of the United States Gov-
ernment, as defined in section 3101 of title 31, United 
States Code, reaches the statutory limit, the following obli-
gations shall take priority over all other obligations in-
curred by the Government of the United States: 
(1) The obligation of the Secretary of the 
Treasury provided in section 3123 of title 31, 
United States Code, to pay with legal tender the 
principal and interest on debt held by the public. 
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(2) The obligation of the Secretary of Defense 
(and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the case 
of the Coast Guard) to pay members of the Armed 
Forces the pay and allowances earned under title 37, 
United States Code, and other compensation paid 
from the military personnel accounts. 
(3) The obligations incurred by the Secretary of 
Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in 
the case of the Coast Guard) to carry out a contin-
gency operation (as defined in section 101(a)(13) of 
title 10, United States Code), including the pay 
earned by civilian employees of the Department of 
Defense and the Coast Guard serving in a combat 
zone (as defined in section 112(c)(2) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986). 
SEC. 4. PERMANENT APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS TO PRO-
VIDE PAY AND ALLOWANCES FOR MEMBERS 
OF THE ARMED FORCES AND CERTAIN CIVIL-
IAN EMPLOYEES DURING PERIOD OF LAPSED 
APPROPRIATIONS. 
For any period of lapsed appropriations, there are ap-
propriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not other-
wise appropriated, to the Secretary of Defense (and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast 
Guard) such amounts as may be necessary to allow the 
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Secretary of Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity in the case of the Coast Guard) to provide, during 
the period of lapsed appropriations and without interrup-
tion— 
(1) pay and allowances to members of armed 
forces, including reserve components thereof, who 
perform active service during the period of lapsed 
appropriations; and 
(2) pay to civilian employees of the Department 
of Defense and the Coast Guard serving in a combat 
zone. 
Æ 
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