As Democrats and Republicans positioned themselves in the best light as they tangoed toward stalemate and a federal government shutdown this week, North Country Congressman Bill Owens tried to ensure that provisions for paying military members would be in place during the shutdown.

His measure did get a vote Thursday on the House floor, but it was defeated by a party-line vote, 191-236, with Republicans in the majority opposed to the Democrat’s plan.

Owens’ 23rd Congressional District spreads from Lake Champlain in the east to Lake Ontario in the west, and includes the U.S. Army’s Fort Drum in Jefferson County, the 18,000 military members based there, and their families.

Owens introduced the measure during debate of H.R. 1363, a bill that would fund the Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year, but which included no provision to ensure that soldiers and their families on-base continue to receive paychecks if the government shuts down.

The federal government is operating under the third stopgap spending bill passed by Congress in recent months, and it expires today. If no additional funding bill is made law before midnight, the government will shut down. It has been reported that, in the event of a government shutdown, troops would remain on duty but will not receive their due pay until Washington agrees on a funding bill.

To end government fiscal gridlock, Owens has called for what he believes is a modest two-to-three percent cut to all federal programs through the fiscal year so that Congress may focus on working with President Obama to produce a 2012 budget focused on job creation and debt reduction. The only exception to Owens’ proposal is to exempt Social Security from any cuts, because it is a self-funding program.

You can view video of Rep. Owens speaking in support of his military pay motion at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omrpzo_jOqI.