Military paychecks are again at risk as the stopgap $8 billion President Donald Trump redirected to cover troops' salaries during the government shutdown is projected to run out by Oct. 31 — leaving Congress with little time to act and escalating Republican pressure on Senate Democrats who blocked a GOP bill to guarantee military pay.
The Pentagon confirmed it has not identified the next source of funding, raising concerns within both parties.
Last week, the Senate voted 54-45 against advancing a Republican bill by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin that would have paid active-duty military and essential federal employees throughout the shutdown. It fell short of the 60-vote threshold after most Democrats opposed the measure.
"While I am grateful President Trump paid service members thus far, I am concerned that money will run out by the end of October and our military won't get paid on time," said Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican and former Navy helicopter pilot who has introduced the Pay Our Troops Act.
On Oct. 11, Trump directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to pull $8 billion from previously appropriated Pentagon research and testing funds. That covered the midmonth payroll of roughly $6.5 billion, leaving only about $1.5 billion available ahead of the Oct. 31 payday, which experts estimate could cost up to $7 billion.
"They are just robbing Peter to — literally — pay Paul," said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He added that while additional Pentagon accounts with carryover funding exist, the administration would eventually be required to refill them once federal funding is restored retroactively.
Democrat leaders argued the Johnson bill would selectively shield Trump from political consequences while other federal workers went unpaid. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "a ruse" that would give the White House too much power to determine which employees remain funded.
Republicans counter that Democrats are refusing to protect military families unless the GOP agrees to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, a core Democrat ultimatum tied to reopening the government.
Three Democrats — Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — broke from their party to join Republicans in supporting the bill. But the Democrat blockade held.
Johnson said Trump's unilateral funding authority is finite. "There's only so many pots of money that he has the authority," he told reporters. "He's not a king."
Republicans are considering another attempt next week focused narrowly on troop pay, air traffic controllers, the Transportation Security Administration, and nutrition benefits expiring Nov. 1, after Democrats last week blocked a stand-alone Pentagon funding bill as well.
With no deal in sight, Pentagon officials have not publicly confirmed whether an alternative source has been secured to cover the Oct. 31 military payroll.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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