• President Trump orders the Pentagon to ensure military pay during the government shutdown.
• Troops are set to receive pay on October 15 despite ongoing furloughs of federal employees.
• Around $8 billion in unobligated Pentagon funds identified to cover military salaries.
• The move aims to relieve political pressure on Congress amid stalled budget negotiations.
• Legal concerns arise over the redirection of previously appropriated funds for troop salaries.

As the U.S. government shutdown continues into its third week, President Trump has directed the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to ensure that military personnel are paid on schedule on October 15. The President emphasized the importance of paying troops, stating, “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due,” in a message posted on Truth Social, further urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to act promptly, according to Reuters and HuffPost.

This directive has been framed as a necessary measure to alleviate concerns over troops potentially missing their first paychecks due to the ongoing shutdown, which began on October 1. Approximately 1.3 million active-duty service members stand to benefit from this decision, as federal employees face continued furloughs without pay, reports South China Morning Post and BBC.

The Pentagon has indicated that it plans to redirect around $8 billion from unobligated funds to cover the paychecks of service members while leaving many federal workers uncertain about their financial situation during the shutdown. However, this approach has raised legal and constitutional questions regarding the executive branch’s rights to reallocate funds without congressional approval, as highlighted by India Times and India Times.

Moreover, critics argue that while this directive addresses military pay, it does not solve the broader issues faced by civilian government employees, many of whom have already experienced layoffs and furloughs due to the shutdown, according to HuffPost and BBC.

This strategic maneuver represents both a temporary fix to ensure military salaries continue during the shutdown and a politically charged effort to place pressure on Congress amid ongoing negotiations over broader fiscal policies, as noted by Reuters and South China Morning Post.