President Donald Trump issued a directive Oct. 15 ordering War Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure all active-duty U.S. service members continue to receive pay during the ongoing government shutdown.
The order, published as a National Security Presidential Memorandum, instructs that “every effort should be made, as authorized by law, to adjust applicable funding accounts within the Department of War to ensure the continuation of Department of War operations and activities consistent with planned expenditures prior to the lapse.”
The move comes after the Senate has for days failed to pass spending legislation to end the stalemate, leaving troops expecting to miss paychecks scheduled for Oct. 15. In the directive, Trump said congressional leaders have indicated that negotiations remain at an impasse and a bipartisan deal is “unlikely to occur before our active duty military personnel are scheduled to receive their next paychecks.”
Trump first announced the plan Oct. 11 on Truth Social, saying his administration had “identified funds” to provide the military with their paychecks. POLITICO reported the same day that the administration would shift about $8 billion from accounts funding military research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts.
He added, “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown.”
>> White House begins federal workforce layoffs as shutdown enters second week <<
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