President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he is directing officials within the Defense Department to ensure that military personnel are paid despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has now lasted for over ten days.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”
His comments come amid rising concerns from both Trump administration officials and lawmakers from both parties that members of the military might not receive their paychecks due on October 15 due to the shutdown.
Representatives from the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Defense Department were not immediately available for comment regarding Trump’s announcement.
In his Truth Social post, Trump assigned blame to Democrats for the shutdown, specifically targeting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” Trump wrote.
Amid these developments, Senate lawmakers have struggled to agree on a temporary funding measure that would allow the government to reopen. Recent votes in the Senate have not met the 60-vote threshold needed to pass such a measure.
In September, the House successfully passed a temporary funding bill on a party-line vote, which was intended to maintain government funding at previous levels through November 21. However, Senate Democrats have yet to join their Republican counterparts in support of this bill.
The Democratic proposal seeks to extend government funding through the end of October while reversing Medicaid cuts that had been enacted earlier this year by the GOP in a significant domestic policy package.
Additionally, the Democratic plan includes an extension of federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act recipients that are set to expire at the end of this year. Despite these efforts, there has been insufficient bipartisan support to advance the proposal in the Senate.
On Friday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed expectations that the White House would find a way to pay troops on time for their October 15 paycheck.
“I think, to their credit, the White House has now for 10 days laid off doing anything in hopes that the — enough Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing and fund the government. But now, now that we’re getting to where people are going to start missing paychecks, this gets real,” Thune remarked.
He underscored the challenges that military families face, stating that many are living paycheck to paycheck, indicating the urgency of the situation.
As the shutdown extended, the Trump administration began laying off thousands of federal workers across multiple agencies, further exacerbating the financial strain on families dependent on federal employment.
A poignant moment occurred on Thursday when House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke with a military spouse who voiced concern about her ability to afford medication for her children without an upcoming paycheck.
The spouse articulated, “If we see a lapse in pay come the 15th, my children do not get to get the medication that’s needed for them to live their life, because we live paycheck to paycheck.”
In response, Johnson expressed his anger over such situations, attributing the delays to the Democrats’ stance on the funding issues.
“The Democrats are the ones that are preventing you from getting a check,” he said during the call.
In the meantime, Democrats in both the House and Senate have sought to introduce a standalone measure ensuring that military personnel would receive their pay during the shutdown.
However, as of Friday, Johnson informed House lawmakers that no votes were expected in the upcoming week, prolonging the period where House members have been absent from Washington.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the Republican leadership, arguing that they had neglected their governance responsibilities by canceling votes for the third consecutive week. He stressed the need for legislative action to reopen the government, pay troops, and tackle the pressing healthcare crisis.
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