WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has issued a warning that if a resolution isn’t reached before the upcoming Friday deadline to prevent a government shutdown, military personnel may not receive their paychecks during the holiday season due to the Republicans’ choice to abandon a congressional spending proposal.
Despite the risk of missing out on their end-of-month pay, troops will still be obligated to show up for duty, whether stationed overseas or within the United States, according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
In the absence of a funding agreement, troops will not see their paychecks, and reservists scheduled to drill after Friday will also remain unpaid. Additionally, federal civilian employees who are required to work during the shutdown will not receive compensation either, Ryder stated.
The military payroll is one of many federal funding sources that would suffer from a lapse in financial resources, but it stands out as one of the most noticeable impacts.
On Wednesday, as Congress was close to advancing a temporary funding measure to keep the government operational, high-profile figures like President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk leveraged Musk’s platform, X, to criticize the 1,500-page funding bill due to its extraneous spending provisions and to caution Republican lawmakers against supporting its passage. The backlash against the bill resulted in an abrupt withdrawal of support.
As discussions progressed, House Republicans were racing against time late Thursday to propose an acceptable alternative.
“A government shutdown means the military won’t be receiving their paychecks,” Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee remarked to reporters as he entered House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. “We certainly don’t want to bring about a government shutdown.” However, House Democrats voiced skepticism, indicating that the new streamlined spending plan was not viable.
There was no immediate response from Trump’s transition team regarding whether he recognized the potential consequences of his position on the spending bill that could lead to military personnel going unpaid.
Ryder also pointed out that non-essential civilian staff members, who are not critical to immediate military operations, would face furloughs.
Past government shutdowns have seen Congress take measures to assure that military personnel receive their pay, but it has not always extended to every member. Notably, during the 2019 impasse, members of the Coast Guard went without pay for over a month.
Ryder emphasized that “a lapse in funding will cause significant disruptions across the Defense Department, and it is still possible to prevent this situation.”
