Overview

• President Donald Trump ordered the Defense Department to use “all available funds,” with OMB and the Pentagon confirming the money will come from research, development, testing and evaluation accounts.
• The Pentagon says roughly $8 billion in RDT&E funds from the prior fiscal year have been identified to cover paychecks, ensuring payment for about 1.3 million active-duty service members on Oct. 15.
• The directive excludes federal civilian employees, hundreds of thousands of whom remain furloughed or working without immediate pay as OMB began rolling out temporary dismissals on Friday.
• Republican leaders declined to pursue a standalone military-pay bill, and analysts note the administration’s move removes a key point of leverage that could otherwise pressure Congress to end the shutdown.
• Talks on Capitol Hill remain stalled, with another Senate vote slated after the holiday, as military families and local economies brace for continued disruptions.