President Donald Trump announced Saturday he had directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to utilize “all available funds” to ensure military personnel received their October 15 paychecks amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
“Chuck Schumer recently claimed, ‘Every day gets better’ during the Radical Left Shutdown. I DISAGREE! If no action is taken, due to ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully owed on October 15,” Trump stated. “That is why I am using my authority as Commander in Chief to direct Secretary Hegseth to use all available funds to PAY OUR TROOPS. We have identified resources to accomplish this, and Hegseth will deploy them to ensure military payments.”
Trump condemned the Democratic-led shutdown, asserting it endangered national security. “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE with their dangerous Government Shutdown. The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy.”
Federal employees faced immediate repercussions as the shutdown entered its second week. Notices issued Friday warned of potential layoffs within 60 days, while House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed federal workers had begun missing full paychecks since October 1. Military personnel also risked delayed payments, with the next scheduled disbursement on October 15.
Congress remained deadlocked, with Senate leaders rejecting bipartisan spending bills for a seventh time Thursday. The stalemate is expected to persist until at least Tuesday. Essential workers, including air traffic controllers, experienced disruptions, though back pay is anticipated once funding resumes.
A court filing revealed over 4,000 federal employees were laid off Friday, impacting seven Cabinet-level agencies. The Treasury Department and Health and Human Services suffered the largest cuts, with 1,446 and up to 1,200 employees respectively terminated. Other departments, including Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security, also reduced staff. The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued notices for potential future layoffs.
