Trump Issues Order for Military Pay Amid Shutdown
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a directive ensuring that the U.S. military would continue to receive pay despite the ongoing government shutdown, which has been dragging on due to Congress’s inability to reach a funding agreement for weeks.
The White House highlighted the necessity of this decision to maintain “military readiness” as the budget impasse stretches into its third week. According to the National Security Presidential Memorandum-8 (NSPM-8), the directive instructs the Army to utilize available funds from fiscal year 2026 to cover military salaries and benefits.
The memo expressed concern that “the current appropriations lapse poses a serious and unacceptable threat to the military readiness and ability of our Armed Forces to protect and defend our nation.”
In his directive, President Trump invoked his Article II authority as commander-in-chief, covering both active-duty service members and reservists. The order, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), directs the use of funds specifically allocated for military pay.
More than a million military personnel were facing the possibility of missing paychecks this week if Congress did not act. This approach taken by President Trump is, notably, quite different from previous administrations that typically waited for bipartisan consensus before intervening directly.
Representative Nick Larota (R-N.Y.) remarked that while this action was positive news for military members, they now had lingering concerns about what would happen at the end of the month, especially regarding their mortgage, rent, and car payments. He emphasized that while Democrats were mistaken in using military pay as political leverage, Republicans should not assume that pay delays would sway Democrats towards agreement.
Concerns about potential depletion of military funds were also voiced, as the Pentagon has not specified which accounts will be used. Reports suggest the administration identified approximately $8 billion in non-obligated defense funds as possible sources.
Critics have raised alarms regarding the legality of this measure, citing anti-deficiency laws that prohibit spending not authorized by Congress. However, White House officials argue that the law permits expenditures that have a “reasonable and logical relationship” to the original funding purpose, in this situation to maintain troops’ pay.
The ongoing government shutdown is projected to cost taxpayers around $400 million daily in wages for furloughed federal workers, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office.
No response was received from the White House, OMB, or the Department of the Army after inquiries were made.
This latest directive follows President Trump’s earlier order on October 11 to ensure military pay continued during the shutdown. As Congress remains at an impasse, these actions may have lasting implications for how government shutdowns are handled in the future.
