President Donald Trump’s administration is considering options to pay members of the military if the government shutdown drags on, according to two White House officials granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
Those options include Trump shifting available funds or pressing Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to put a standalone troop pay bill on the floor, according to one of the officials. The White House is not seeking a vote on troop pay at the moment and is reviewing internal options to address the pay issue, the other official said.
Active-duty military members are set to miss their paychecks Oct. 15 if Congress does not act.
“The president has been clear that he is going to pay the troops,” one of the officials said.
Asked Wednesday if he would encourage Congress to pass a standalone bill to pay troops amid the shutdown, he replied: “Probably.” He added, “Our military will always be taken care of.”
But Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have so far refused to consider a separate bill, arguing Democrats need to stop blocking the stopgap funding measure passed by the House last month.