WASHINGTON -- Thousands of U.S. Coast Guard members missed their first paychecks this week, marking the first time in history that armed service members were not paid due to a lapse in government funding.

However, a group of bipartisan lawmakers are trying to change that. 

  • Coast Guard is part of Dept. of Homeland Security, not getting paid during shutdown
  • Florida lawmakers sponsoring bill to pay Coast Guard
  • 5,000 Coast Guardsmen in Florida
  • RELATED: How to Get Help if You're a Federal Worker

Unlike other branches of the military, the Coast Guard is not under the Department of Defense, which remains funded during the shutdown. The Coast Guard is in the Department of Homeland Security, which is not. 

“This is what keeps me up at night right now," said Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa.

The Florida delegation is banding together, fighting to make sure the state’s nearly 5,000 active duty coast guard members are properly compensated as the shutdown continues.

“If you think about it, these individuals who want to spend their time taking care of the citizens of our country, and now they are worried about can they pay their bills, can they put food on the table, can they pay their car payment? They should never have to do that," said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida.

Scott is co-sponsoring a bill that would appropriate money to pay salaries and allowances to members of the Coast Guard and contractors, during this shutdown and future budget battles. 

As the standoff over border security continues, Scott worries the shutdown could take a toll on members of the Coast Guard, a major line of defense in fighting the war on drugs.​

“They are defending our borders, they are the ones doing the interdiction of the drugs that are coming into the country. They are tracking what is going on in Latin America. They work really, really, really hard and they ought to get paid," Scott said.

Scott’s legislative push comes after the House introduced legislation of their own last year.

“We’re way ahead of him. Because remember he was sworn in later than any other senator, so he’s a little late to the party," Rep. Castor said. 

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says she’s working with lawmakers and the administration to reinstate funding for the Coast Guard. While Congress passed a bill last week to retroactively pay federal workers, including Coast Guard members, it wouldn’t go into effect until after the shutdown is over.

“It’s inconceivable to me that we have made this a partisan issue instead of focusing on the issues that are most important for the American people," said Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Miami.

"Coast Guard personnel will continue to perform their duties during the government shutdown," wrote Chief Warrant Officer Barry Lane with the U.S. Coast Guard, in a statement to Spectrum News. "However, the longer the shutdown lasts, the more difficult it will become for the Coast Guard to maintain mission readiness."