Trump directs Hegseth to use ‘all available funds’ to pay military workers amid shutdown

[mystery-ak]

 Trump directs Hegseth to use ‘all available funds’ to pay military workers amid shutdown
by Ryan Mancini - 10/11/25 2:31 PM ET

President Trump on Saturday directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use move all of the department’s “available funds” to go toward paying military servicemembers during the government shutdown.

Throwing blame toward congressional Democrats and naming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Trump said that troops will not receive their upcoming paychecks. Servicemembers are scheduled to receive their next checks on Oct. 15.

“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,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social.

“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” Trump said.

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the White House for comment.

This comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) cast blame on Democrats for the potential pay lapse.

“HR 5371 (the Continuing Resolution) is the bill to pay our troops,” Johnson wrote in a post on the social media platform X. “No one in the military or any military family should have their pay blocked on October 15! Since the bill ALREADY PASSED THE HOUSE, a simple yes vote by five more Democrats on Tuesday would allow the military to be paid on Wednesday.”

Democrats and Republicans have pressured Johnson to bring lawmakers back to Washington to vote on a bill that would ensure military workers are paid next week despite the shutdown.

Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Derek Tran (D-Calif.) on Wednesday wrote a letter to Johnson urging him to bring House members back before Wednesday to pass the bill.

“If Congress does not act by October 15th, nearly three million military families will miss their next paycheck,” they write in the letter, first reported by Punchbowl News. “That’s unacceptable — our military families and troops deserve better.”

“We can have policy and political fights in Congress, but we simply can’t ask service members to put themselves in harm’s way without paying them,” Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chair of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee said in a statement to The Hill on Thursday. “It should be a red line for anyone who cares about our national security and our troops.”

Trump also supported the bill and said it was something “that probably will happen.”

But on Friday, Johnson said that any votes in the House will only happen once a funding bill is passed.

Updated at 3:18 p.m.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5551097-trump-troops-pay-government-shutdown/

[Wingnut]

By Alexandra Marquez and Julie Tsirkin
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was directing Defense Department officials to pay members of the military next week, despite the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

This comes as Trump administration officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced concerns that members of the military would not receive a paycheck on Oct. 15 due to the shutdown, which has lasted for 10 days so far.

Representatives the Defense Department did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment Saturday.

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.

A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

In the Truth Social post, Trump blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown, writing, “If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-authorizes-military-pay-government-shutdown-rcna237049

[mystery-ak]

 Pentagon will pay military troops, Trump says, shifting $8B

The president said Saturday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has funds available to pay troops on Wednesday.

By Ben Johansen and Jennifer Scholtes10/11/2025 02:57 PM EDTUpdated: 10/11/2025 05:04 PM EDT

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that he will direct Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th” as the government shutdown nears its third week.

After the Senate failed to approve spending legislation this week, military members were preparing to go without their paychecks on Wednesday for the first time in U.S. history.

“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” the president wrote in the social media post Saturday. “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown.”

To scrounge up enough money to pay the troops, the Pentagon is tapping into its research and development accounts to use funding Congress made available for two years, according to an OMB official. Specifically, about $8 billion is being shifted from accounts that fund military research, development, testing and evaluation efforts, according to two people familiar with the plan who were granted anonymity to discuss its details.

more
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/11/pentagon-pay-military-troops-trump-00604481

[Hoodat]

To scrounge up enough money to pay the troops .  .  .

Wait just a minute here.  The paycheck I received yesterday had federal taxes taken out of it.  So they should have no problem "scrounging up" money since the Treasury is still being filled with out tax money.

[Mod5]

Merged.