President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked his authority as commander-in-chief to order the Department of Defense to continue paying military personnel during the ongoing government shutdown.
Trump Directs Pentagon To Repurpose Funds For Military Pay During Shutdown
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had directed Defense Secretary 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.”
“I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” he added.
The order instructs the Pentagon to repurpose existing money, including research and development funds, to cover payroll while government operations remain halted.
Coast Guard Excluded From Pay Protections, Raising Concerns For Families
The directive does not extend to the Coast Guard, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, reported the Washington Post.
That means thousands of Coast Guard members could again face missed paychecks, a repeat of the 35-day shutdown during Trump's first term that left many relying on loans and food banks.
The shutdown, now in its third week, has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay.
"This pays the military," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) at a Friday news conference.
"All they have to do is pick it up at the desk and give us five votes and the military gets paid," he added.
See Also: Furloughed Federal Workers Not Guaranteed Back Pay After Government Shutdown, Says White House -- Points To 2019 Law Signed By Trump
Lawmakers And Governors Clash Over Military Pay And Shutdown Impact
On Saturday, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) praised President Trump's move to ensure military pay during the government shutdown, saying it achieves the goal of her bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act and called for the government to reopen.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blamed Republicans for the shutdown, highlighting lost jobs, strained families, and higher costs for healthcare, groceries, and energy caused by Trump's policies, calling it a "failed economic experiment."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized House Republicans for “canceled votes next week so they can remain on vacation.”
He added, “The extremists refuse to pay our active duty military,” stressing that Democrats continue to fight to protect healthcare.
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) slammed Trump's handling of the shutdown as "reckless and cruel."
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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