WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday he has directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. troops are paid Wednesday despite the government shutdown, a short-term solution that won’t apply to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been put out of work.
Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because “our brave troops will not receive the paychecks they are rightfully owed on October 15th.”
The Republican president’s directive removes one of the pressure points that could have forced Congress to act, likely ensuring that the shutdown — now in its 11th day — extends into a third week and possibly beyond. But no similar action appears planned for federal employees who are also working without pay, as thousands are now laid off due to the shutdown of government operations. The White House budget office began layoffs Friday.
Trump blamed Democrats and said he was exercising his authority as commander in chief to order Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to use all available funds to have our troops PAID by October 15.” The Republican president added: “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to pay our troops. »
US military personnel risked not receiving their next paycheck on Wednesday after the government shut down on October 1, the start of the federal budget cycle. The United States has about 1.3 million active-duty military personnel, and the prospect of its soldiers going without pay was a focus as lawmakers on Capitol Hill discussed the negative impact of the shutdown.
Trump did not say where he was getting the money from, but a spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget said Pentagon research and development funds would be tapped.
The Pentagon said it had identified about $8 billion in unobligated funds for testing and evaluation of research development in the last fiscal year, which will be used to issue paychecks mid-month, “in the event the funding gap continues after October 15.”
Federal employees typically receive back pay after a shutdown ends, as is now required by a law Trump signed during his first term. He recently floated the idea of not recovering lost wages.
It is unclear whether the president’s directive applies to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is a branch of the U.S. armed forces but is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime.
The country’s third shutdown in 12 years has further increased the level of anxiety among service members and their families as those in uniform work without pay. Even though they will receive back pay once the standoff ends, many military families are living paycheck to paycheck.
During previous shutdowns, Congress passed legislation ensuring soldiers continued to receive their pay, but discussions about taking a similar step by lawmakers appeared to have failed.
When asked earlier this week if he would support a bill to pay the troops, Trump replied, “It probably will happen.”
“We will take care of it,” he said Wednesday. “We will always take care of our soldiers. »
The shutdown began Oct. 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding solution and demanded that the bill include an expansion of federal health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The expiration of these subsidies at the end of the year will result in increased monthly costs for millions of people.
Trump and Republican leaders have said they are open to negotiations on health care subsidies, but insist the government must first reopen.
Both sides appear entrenched in their positions, making it difficult to know when and how the shutdown will end.
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Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
