Despite the government shutdown, Trump says troops will get their pay
President Donald Trump said on October 11 that he had directed the Department of Defense to use “all available funds” to ensure US troops are paid through October 15 despite the government shutdown.
President Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because “our brave troops will lose well-deserved pay on October 15.”
The Republican president’s action removes one pressure point 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 there does not appear to be any similar action in the future for federal employees, thousands of whom have now been laid off during the shutdown of government operations. The White House Budget Office began this process on October 10.
Mr. Trump blamed Democrats and said he was exercising his authority as commander in chief to direct Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to use all available funds to get our troops paid on October 15.” The Republican president added: “We have identified the funds needed to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to pay our troops.”
US military service members were at risk of not receiving their next paycheck on October 15 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 personnel, and the prospect of troops remaining without pay was a focal point when lawmakers on Capitol Hill discussed the negative impact of the shutdown.
Trump has not said where he is getting the money, but it is likely to be funded by billions of dollars funneled to the Defense Department under Trump’s large tax and spending cuts bill he signed in the summer. The Congressional Budget Office said such a move was possible.
“The Administration could also decide to use mandatory funding provided in the Reconciliation Act of 2025 or other mandatory funding sources to continue activities funded by those direct appropriations at various agencies,” the Congressional Budget Office said.
The Congressional Budget Office cited the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Management and Budget as among the departments that received specific funds under the law.
Some Pentagon funds “could be used to pay active-duty workers during the shutdown, thereby reducing the number of exempt workers who would receive back compensation,” the Congressional Budget Office wrote in a letter in response to questions raised by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email request for details about the president’s announcement.