‘Bring it on’: Trump administration to pay military with War Department funds if shutdown continues

Frustration is mounting among federal workers as the government shutdown begins its second week. However, the Trump administration has found a way to continue paying a vital part of the government: the military.

With payday for the military looming on Wednesday and no end to the government shutdown in sight, Trump announced that the Department of War would be pulling extra funds to pay servicemen and women.

‘I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown.’

Trump blamed the Democrats in Congress for the shutdown after nearly two weeks of leaders refusing to come to the table to pass a clean CR bill.

“If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th. That is why 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. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” Trump said in a Saturday Truth Social post.

RELATED: ‘PAY OUR TROOPS’: Trump unveils creative solution to minimize military’s shutdown pain

Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

“I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” Trump continued.

Asked for more information regarding Trump’s announcement, a Department of War official told Blaze News, “The president has directed the secretary of war to use available funds to pay service members on October 15. The Department of War has identified approximately $8 billion of unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year that will be used to issue mid-month paychecks to service members in the event the funding lapse continues past October 15. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”

Asked for comment, the White House referred Blaze News to the Office of Management and Budget. An OMB spokesperson confirmed the plan, saying, “The military will be paid using pots of R&D money available at DOW for two years.”

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson expressed his confidence in the president’s funding plan. He said that Democrats have threatened to challenge the move in court.

“Are Democrats suggesting they want to go to court to STOP PAYCHECKS from being issued to our troops?! BRING IT ON!” Johnson said on X. “I’m grateful for a Commander in Chief who is prioritizing the brave men and women serving in our military — even while Democrats are working and VOTING REPEATEDLY to BLOCK their hard-earned pay.”

Without this move by the Department of War and President Trump, the military’s pay would likely be suspended with back pay until an appropriations bill is passed. A major piece of legislation, the Antideficiency Act, bars agencies from spending money when it has not been appropriated by Congress.

GovFacts succinctly explains the “central paradox” of the government shutdown as it relates to military spending: “The [Antideficiency Act’s] emergency exception legally requires active-duty service members to keep working to protect the nation. But the ADA’s core prohibition forbids the government from obligating funds to pay their salaries without an appropriation.”

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