October 27, 2025
President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to use untouched research and development funds to cover military paychecks but officials highlighted the move as a temporary fix.
While the Trump administration promised military members would be paid despite funding discrepancies, U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that Nov. 15 paychecks may be missed if the government shutdown carries on, CBS News reported.
“I think we’lll be able to pay them beginning in November, but by Nov. 15 our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives aren’t going to be able to get paid,” Bessent said on an interview with Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.
Shortly after the shutdown began, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to use untouched research and development funds—roughly $8 billion from the previous fiscal year—to cover mid-month paychecks. However, officials highlighted the move as a temporary fix as funds will run out to pay members of the military if the shutdown continues.
The Trump appointee didn’t waste time blaming the Democratic Party for the shutdown, heading into 30 days, calling it a “Democrat-led boycott.” He specifically called out Senate Majority and Minority leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY(.
“What’s changed between now and March other than Chuck Schumer’s poll numbers, and I think Hakeem Jeffries is going to be primary from the left, and I didn’t think there was a lot of room over there,” Bessent said. “So both of them are worried about their primaries and not the American people, not the government employees, not our military employees.”
After blaming their Democratic colleagues for disagreeing on the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, Republicans accused them of pushing for a pay hiatus for military personnel, according to The Hill, highlighting the lack of seven Senate votes to pass a funding bill sponsored by House Speaker Sen. Mike Johnson (R-LA).
“HR 5371 (the Continuing Resolution) is the bill to pay our troops,” Johnson wrote on X. “No one in the military or any military family should have their pay blocked on October 15!”
Senate Democrats blocked the bill during an Oct. 23 vote to pay active-duty members of the military and other essential federal employees furloughed by the government shutdown. Meanwhile, Trump announced that an unidentified friend had donated $130 million to the Defense Department to help pay service members who had missed paychecks, calling the donor “a great gentleman.”
The gesture was met with backlash from social media users who wondered if there are people who can donate that amount of cash to the military, maybe they can assist with the healthcare bailout.
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