Overview

• An OMB spokesperson and the Pentagon said identified money comes from two-year research, development, test and evaluation accounts, totaling about $8 billion.
• The directive is described as a short-term workaround and it remains unclear how long redirected funds can sustain military paychecks.
• Coverage questions persist, including whether the Coast Guard, which falls under Homeland Security in peacetime, will be included.
• The move does not extend to most furloughed civilian federal workers, as layoffs accelerate and unions prepare legal challenges to block firings.
• By easing the immediate risk to military families, analysts say the step removes a key pressure point on Congress as the shutdown enters a third week with the Senate deadlocked and House votes delayed.