ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump on Saturday instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to allocate all of the department’s “available funds” to ensure that military service members are paid during the government shutdown, which is approaching its third week.
Trump, seeking to place blame on congressional Democrats and specifically mentioning Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, stated that troops will not get their upcoming paychecks. Service members are set to receive their next payments next Wednesday.
Using an unofficial variant name for the defense secretary, Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social: “That is why 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,” he added.
An Office of Management and Budget spokesperson told The Hill that the identified funding comes from “portions of research and development money” at the Defense Department, which is available for two years.
Democrats and Republicans have urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to reconvene Congress’ lower house to pass a bill ensuring military pay next week. Reps. Gabe Vasquez and Derek Tran warned in a letter that without action by next Wednesday, nearly 3 million military families could miss their pay.
In contrast with Pentagon employees, Trump has said that some government employees do not “deserve” to be paid, and suggested he would not do so.
During previous government shutdowns, standard procedure has been to keep essential workers on the job, but unpaid, and furlough nonessential workers, also unpaid, but then give them all back pay once the shutdown is over.
Trump, however, has threatened to fire – not just furlough – thousands of workers and also not give others their back pay.
Democrats and labor unions call the moves illegal and pledged to challenge them in court.