Trump directs Hegseth to use ‘all available funds’ to get troops paid
President Donald Trump on Saturday said his administration identified funds that could be used to pay military service members amid the government shutdown. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that he’s directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th.”
An Office of Management and Budget spokesperson told Straight Arrow News that the money will come from the Department of Defense’s research and development funding.
In a separate statement shared with SAN, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense said the agency “has identified approximately $8 billion of unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year that will be used to issue mid month paychecks to service members in the event the funding lapse continues past October 15th.”
In his post, Trump blamed Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for the impasse. “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” he wrote.
There were 1.3 million active-duty military members at risk of missing their Oct. 15 paychecks due to the shutdown. During an event to commemorate the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary last week, Trump hinted he was looking at ways to get the money to the troops.
“Despite the current Democrat-induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny,” Trump said.
Congressional aides said legislation would have needed to be passed by Oct. 13 for troops to get their next paycheck on time, Reuters reported. The Pentagon told USA Today the last time military members were paid was on Sept. 30.
Democrats, Republicans spar over shutdown blame
Saturday marked the 11th day of the government shutdown, which started after Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding provisions by the time their deadline came on midnight Sept. 30. Senators on Thursday could not meet the 60-vote threshold needed to reopen the government at full capacity.
Republicans say they want what they call a “clean” funding bill without extra provisions. Democrats, they argue, are insisting on unrelated additions.
Meanwhile, Democrats maintain the GOP is refusing to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which will cause health insurance premiums to rise to levels many can’t afford.
Democrats in the House of Representatives earlier this week attempted to pressure House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., into bringing a standalone bill to pay uniformed, civilian and contract Defense Department employees during the shutdown.
Johnson characterized the bill as a “red herring” and insisted that if Democrats are worried about federal employees not getting paid, they should vote for a continuing resolution (CR) that will temporarily fund the government.
“[Democrats] want to get on record and say they’re for paying the troops. We already had that vote. It’s called the CR,” Johnson said to reporters Wednesday. “Every Republican and at least one Democrat had the common sense to say, of course, we want the government to stay in operation, of course, we want to pay our troops.”
Democrats said Johnson’s description of the bill was disrespectful.
“Shame on the Republicans for remaining on vacation and even refusing to pay our troops because of their continued effort to gut the health care of the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.
Speaking to the press in the Capitol Friday, Johnson indicated he won’t call House lawmakers back to session until the end of the shutdown. The speaker canceled House votes initially scheduled for Sept. 29 and 30, as well as this past week.
“We will come back, and get back to legislative session, as soon as the Senate Democrats turn the lights back on,” Johnson said, according to The Hill.
Along with the concern over military troops not receiving paychecks, federal workers were laid off during the shutdown, and agencies heard about “insufficient funds” for services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
