DOUG MILLS/THE NEW YORK TIMES
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with President Javier Milei of Argentina at the White House in Washington, on Tuesday. Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum significantly expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum significantly expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.
Trump’s memorandum gives Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, wide authority to repurpose funds, even though no such permission has been granted by Congress.
It states that Hegseth, in coordination with the White House budget office, should use “any funds appropriated by the Congress that remain available for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 to accomplish the scheduled disbursement of military pay.” It says such funds should have “a reasonable, logical relationship to the pay and allowances of military personnel, consistent with applicable law.”
Some Democrats have balked at the way Trump has repurposed money during the shutdown, arguing that his actions are most likely illegal and undercut Congress’ constitutional power.
But Republicans have been daring Democrats to enter a political fight over the issue of military pay.
“If the Democrats want to go to court and challenge troops being paid, bring it,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday.
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Separately, Trump also said he planned to provide funding to pay FBI agents during the shutdown. He did not specify the source of that funding.
At an Oval Office event, FBI Director Kash Patel praised Trump for the move.
“You’ve found a way to get these individuals paid during a government shutdown,” Patel said to Trump.
“We got the people that we want paid, paid,” Trump said. “We want the FBI paid,” he added. “We want the military paid. We got the people that we want paid.”
Trump’s memo on the military gives his administration broader authority than it had previously exercised to repurpose funds. The administration had already said it planned to tap about $8 billion in unspent research, testing and evaluation money from the prior fiscal year to pay the troops.
Trump wrote in the memo that active duty military personnel would probably miss their next paychecks, on Oct. 15, because of the shutdown, an outcome that “presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness and the ability of our armed forces to protect and defend our nation.”
The federal government has been shut down for more than two weeks as Democrats demand changes to health care policy to avoid significant cost increases for many Americans.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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