Members of the military can expect to see a paycheck starting October 15, after President Trump directed the Pentagon to reallocate some defense funds.
WASHINGTON — Members of the military can expect to see a paycheck on Oct. 15 even as the government shutdown enters day 15. This comes after President Trump directed the Pentagon to reallocate funds so they do not serve without pay.
The Pentagon will be redirecting approximately $8 billion in “unobligated” research and development funds to servicemembers. Some legal experts are raising questions, though, about whether or not the administration has the authority to redirect such a large fund during a shutdown. They say it could violate the Anti-Deficiency Act, which allows Congress to control federal spending by prohibiting federal agencies from spending money without previously approved appropriations.
However, the administration’s own legal and accountability offices would be tasked with investigating a potential violation, so any pushback is unlikely.
This move also isn’t the first time the Office of Management and Budget’s Russell Vought is testing how far the executive branch can extend its spending power. Without this reallocation, this week could have marked the first time in history the military has gone without pay during a shutdown. In the past, Congress has passed a standalone measure, like the Pay Our Troops Act to ensure they receive paychecks during shutdowns.
However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R) has refused to call the House back to the Capitol to vote on a similar measure, standing firm in his commitment to keep them in their home districts until Senate Democrats approve the spending bill the House already approved.
“All I am able to do is come to this microphone every day, look right into the camera and plead with the American people, as Chairman McClain said, to call your Senate Democrats and ask them to do the right thing. We’re not playing games. They’re playing a game,” Speaker Johnson said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, two labor unions, American Federation of Government employees and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, will be in a San Francisco, Ca. courtroom Wednesday, as they work to secure an emergency injunction to prevent the mass federal worker layoffs.
On Friday, more than 4,000 federal employees received Reduction in Force or RIF notices. The majority went to employees working for the Departments of Health and Human Resources and the Treasury. Other “essential” federal workers have to keep working without pay, including air traffic controllers. Airports across the country are already feeling the impact, with flight delays and increased TSA lines.
“Firing and threatening to fire federal employees is part of the Trump Administration’s campaign to inflict trauma on our federal workforce,” Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen (D) said at a Tuesday rally.
The Senate’s eighth vote on the House spending bill Tuesday failed again, and it is unclear when they might try again.