In a bold move amid an ongoing government shutdown, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has ordered military personnel to be compensated next week, despite the operational challenges many federal employees are facing. The shutdown, now extending into its second week, has rendered numerous civil servants either temporarily unpaid or mandated to continue their work without compensation.
Trump stated he directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to utilize all available funds to ensure that troops are paid by October 15th. He criticized Democrats for their role in the funding stalemate, which he characterized as a threat to national security. On his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown.”
The impasse arose following the September 30 funding deadline when nonessential government operations ceased. Senate Democrats have consistently blocked Republican efforts to reopen federal agencies, primarily due to disagreements concerning the inclusion of provisions to extend health insurance subsidies that benefit 24 million Americans.
The consequences of the shutdown have been significant, impacting hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have either been put on temporary unpaid leave or labeled as essential personnel without pay. Notably, approximately 1.3 million active-duty military members were facing the unprecedented possibility of missing their scheduled pay this coming Wednesday, a situation not witnessed in prior funding shutdowns in modern history.
In an additional effort to exert pressure on Democrats, the White House announced on Friday that it would begin mass layoffs of federal employees. The plan includes reducing the workforce by around 4,000 positions across various government agencies, as outlined in a court filing aimed at blocking these layoffs.
As the shutdown continues to disrupt public services and create uncertainty among federal workers and military personnel alike, the political standoff shows little sign of resolution, raising questions about the immediate future of government operations and public services.
