Noem Credits Budget Bill for Keeping Coast Guard Paid During Shutdown

U.S. Coast Guard members will get paid this week, even as the government remains shuttered, leveraging a bold funding workaround weeks in the making, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday.

"While Democrats have played politics with military pay to fight for illegal aliens, the U.S. Coast Guard has been defending our maritime borders, stopping the flow of deadly narcotics and illegal immigration into our country, and countering America's adversaries around the world," Noem said in a statement.

"President Trump did not want any of our military to go without pay as a result of Democrats' political theater, and we at DHS worked out an innovative solution to make sure that didn't happen," she explained.

"Thanks to President Trump's leadership and the 'one big beautiful bill,' the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard will not miss a paycheck this week as they continue to carry out their critical homeland security and military missions."

Her message came right on the heels of President Trump's Saturday announcement: "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," he posted on Truth Social.

He added, "I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military … HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown."

Trump's move triggered reports that the Pentagon will repurpose some $8 billion in unused research and development funds to cover military salaries.

But Noem's announcement makes clear that, despite being outside the War Department, the Coast Guard too is shielded from pay disruption.

It's a sharp contrast to the fate of other federal workers: last week, more than 4,000 across seven agencies were laid off, including 176 at DHS.

Workers and unions have already challenged the firings in court, accusing the administration of selectively protecting certain paychecks and weaponizing the shutdown.

Noem framed the move as both practical and political.

She painted opponents as prioritizing illegal immigration over troops and credited the budget bill as the legislative linchpin behind the rescue.