Trump Orders Pentagon to Tap “All Available Funds” So Troops Are Paid on Oct. 15—Even as Shutdown Drags On

Directive pulls roughly $8B in unobligated RDT&E money to cover mid-month pay; Coast Guard inclusion unclear and critics warn of legal/operational risks if the shutdown persists

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said he has directed the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. service members receive their Oct. 15 paychecks despite the ongoing federal shutdown. Defense officials subsequently identified about $8 billion in unobligated Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funds from the last fiscal year to execute the mid-month payroll if the funding lapse continues, administration and defense sources said. 

In a weekend social-media post, Trump said the move was necessary so “our Brave Troops” do not miss pay; the White House budget office indicated the reprogramming would rely on Pentagon R&D accounts. The decision does not extend to hundreds of thousands of furloughed or unpaid federal civilians, potentially reducing pressure on Congress to resolve the impasse. 

Pentagon officials and outside analysts called the step extraordinary and likely temporary, warning the maneuver could disrupt R&D schedules and may be hard to repeat if the shutdown stretches into November. It remained uncertain whether the Coast Guard—under DHS in peacetime—will be covered, echoing past shutdown inequities for that service.