Overview

• The Pentagon and the White House budget office said roughly $8 billion in unobligated research, development, testing and evaluation funds from the prior fiscal year will cover military paychecks if the shutdown continues.
• The directive applies to service members only, and reporting notes it is unclear whether Coast Guard personnel will be included.
• Budget experts and lawmakers flagged potential legal risks to redirecting previously appropriated funds under the Antideficiency Act, though the CBO has said some such moves could be lawful.
• By removing the threat of missed troop pay, the move eases a key pressure point on Congress and could lessen urgency to resolve the funding impasse tied to Affordable Care Act subsidies.
• The administration has begun layoffs of federal civilian employees during the shutdown, with filings indicating roughly 4,200 positions cut across multiple agencies.