Troops Before Politicians Act

HR 5942, the "Troops Before Politicians Act," requires congressional pay to be withheld and placed in an escrow account if active-duty military members (including reserves) do not receive their full pay due to a funding lapse. This directly affects Members of Congress, as their salaries would be paused during such pay delays for troops. The bill mandates that withheld funds are released to lawmakers as soon as military pay is restored, with a specific deadline for the current Congress (118th) to avoid constitutional conflicts. It does not change military pay or create new policies, but ties congressional compensation to the timely payment of active-duty service members.