Trump Advocates for Military Pay During Shutdown

On Wednesday, President Trump mentioned that a separate bill to ensure military personnel get paid during the ongoing government shutdown “will probably happen.” This statement appears to contrast with earlier remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).

When asked if he would encourage Congress to pass such a bill, Trump responded, “Yes, probably.” He added, “We still have to worry about it. It’s a long time. You know a week is an eternity to me? A week is a long time to me. We’ll deal with it.” He emphasized, “Our military is always here for you.”

This marks a shift from Tuesday, when Johnson opposed the idea of a standalone military pay bill amid the shutdown. He believed Democrats were pushing for a repeat vote to be able to claim they supported military funding.

Johnson highlighted that they had already voted on the matter through a continuing resolution (CR), which is a temporary budget measure passed by the House to keep government operations funded until November 21.

If Congress fails to pass a separate bill or reopen the government by October 15, approximately 1.3 million active-duty military members could start missing their paychecks.

A group of ten House Democrats, spearheaded by Reps. Gabe Vazquez of New Mexico and Derek Tran of California, requested that Johnson reconvene the House by next Wednesday to address this issue.

Additionally, Rep. Jen Quiggans (R-Va.) is also calling on Johnson and House leadership to prioritize legislation that guarantees military pay during the shutdown. “Military paychecks should not be held hostage to dysfunction in Washington,” Quiggans asserted in a statement.

Democrats are currently pushing to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of 2025, while opposing a Republican-led stopgap bill. This adds another layer to the complexities of the negotiations.