President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. troops receive their paychecks on Wednesday despite the ongoing government shutdown. This short-term measure will not extend to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed.
In a social media post, Trump said he was taking this step because “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.” The Republican president’s directive removes one of the key pressure points that might have forced Congress into action, likely ensuring that the shutdown—now in its 11th day—extends into a third week and possibly beyond.
However, no similar relief appears forthcoming for federal employees who are also working without pay, as thousands are now being laid off during the lapse in government operations. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) began these layoffs on Friday.
Trump blamed Democrats for the impasse and stated he was exercising his authority as commander in chief by directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th.” The president added, “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”
U.S. service members faced the possibility of missing their next paycheck on Wednesday after the government shutdown began on October 1, which marked the start of the federal budget cycle. The U.S. military comprises about 1.3 million active-duty service members, and concerns over troops going unpaid have been a focal point in Capitol Hill discussions about the shutdown’s negative effects.
Though Trump did not specify the source of the funds, a spokesperson for the White House OMB indicated that Pentagon research and development funds would be tapped. The Pentagon announced it identified roughly $8 billion in unobligated research, development, testing, and evaluation funds from the last fiscal year to cover the mid-month paychecks “in the event the funding lapse continues past October 15th.”
Typically, federal workers receive back pay after a shutdown ends, as required by a law Trump signed during his first term. However, he recently floated the idea of not making up the lost salaries.
It remains unclear whether the president’s directive applies to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is a branch of the Armed Forces but operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime.
This shutdown, the nation’s third in 12 years, has heightened anxiety among service members and their families, who continue to work without pay. While they will receive back pay once the shutdown ends, many military families live paycheck to paycheck.
During previous shutdowns, Congress passed legislation to ensure that troops continued to receive their salaries, but discussions about similar measures this time appear to have stalled. Asked earlier this week if he would support a bill to pay the troops, Trump responded, “that probably will happen.”
“We’ll take care of it,” he said on Wednesday. “Our military is always going to be taken care of.”
The shutdown began on October 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding measure, insisting that the bill include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Without an extension, those subsidies will expire at the end of the year, leading to monthly cost increases for millions of Americans.
Trump and Republican leaders have expressed willingness to negotiate on the health subsidies but insist the government must reopen before talks resume. Both sides remain firm in their positions, making the shutdown’s end uncertain.
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