As the federal government shutdown stretched into its twelfth day, President Donald Trump made a dramatic move on October 11, 2025, by directing the Pentagon to use all available funds to pay U.S. service members who were on the brink of missing their October 15 paychecks. With bipartisan efforts to pass a standalone military pay bill stalling in Congress, the president’s decision offered immediate relief to 1.3 million active-duty military personnel—but left hundreds of thousands of other federal workers still facing missed pay and mounting uncertainty.
Trump’s directive, announced via social media and confirmed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to tap into about $8 billion of unobligated Pentagon research, development, testing, and evaluation funds from the previous fiscal year. According to the Associated Press, these funds—normally reserved for long-term military innovation—will be diverted to ensure that troops receive their mid-month paychecks if the shutdown continues past October 15.
“Our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” Trump posted, explaining his decision to intervene. “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.” The president emphasized that the move was necessary because “the ball is in the court of Senate Democrats right now,” echoing Speaker Mike Johnson’s remarks at a Friday press conference, where Johnson insisted, “We have voted so many times to pay the troops. We did it in the House three weeks ago.”
The shutdown, which began on October 1—the start of the federal budget cycle—was triggered after Democrats rejected a short-term funding measure that excluded an extension of federal health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. While Trump and Republican leaders said they were open to negotiating on health subsidies, they insisted that the government must reopen first. With both sides dug in, a quick resolution appeared elusive, and the shutdown became the nation’s third in just twelve years.
For military families, the threat of missed paychecks was more than a political talking point—it was a looming financial crisis. In southeastern Virginia’s Hampton Roads region, home to 85,000 active-duty military and 58,000 federal civilian workers, the shutdown’s impact was immediate and deeply felt. Bashtye Bailey, a Navy wife and veteran, waited in line at a food bank near Naval Station Norfolk, already planning for the possibility that her husband’s paycheck wouldn’t arrive. “We’ve already cut back on certain things and certain expenses,” Bailey told CNN, noting that the family’s budget was often just enough to get by.
Local businesses braced for the fallout as well. Richard Maigue, who owns Kitchenfinity—a small restaurant outside the naval base—worried about a slowdown in business if service members weren’t paid on time. “Everyone needs to eat, but they could probably try to cut corners somewhere,” Maigue said, reflecting on how a missed payday could ripple through the community. His wife and co-owner, Maricen Corrales, added, “Tomorrow, we don’t know … how we’ll be able to survive if we don’t have any customers coming in. But either way, we’re still going to provide the great service and food for as long as we can.”
Bob McNab, an economics professor at Old Dominion University, described the region’s vulnerability: “Roughly $4 out of every $10 spent in the region is directly or indirectly related to the federal government.” He estimated that a monthlong shutdown could cost the area at least $1 billion if workers receive back pay—but potentially far more if government contractors aren’t reimbursed. “If they’re not reimbursed, we’re back into potential losses amounting to billions if the shutdown lasts five weeks or longer,” McNab warned. “There is a true ripple effect.”
The anxiety was palpable among military families, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck. Kady Frazier, married to a Navy technician, described the stress as she waited at a mobile food bank: “We get paid every two weeks, so if we don’t get paid after that, it can start to become a real stressful situation and a real struggle.” Food Bank of Southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore anticipated a surge in demand if the shutdown continued. “When the 2018 shutdown lasted about 35 days, our lines increased significantly. A lot of people were coming to us for the first time,” said Mallory Rackling, the food bank’s communications director.
Earlier in October, Trump had visited the region to mark the Navy’s 250th anniversary, telling sailors aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, “We will get our service members every last penny. Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it.” Yet, as the shutdown dragged on, worry only grew among those relying on government paychecks.
In Washington, efforts to pass a standalone military pay bill had gained bipartisan support but failed to gain traction. Alabama, home to several key military bases, saw its representatives—both Republican and Democrat—lining up behind measures like the Pay Our Troops Act, which had over 100 cosponsors. Republican Rep. Dale Strong, whose district includes Redstone Arsenal, explained, “The last thing the Congressman wants is for our service members to miss a paycheck, which is why he voted on September 19 to keep the government open and not jeopardize our troops’ pay.” Democratic Reps. Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell also expressed support for ensuring military pay during the shutdown.
Despite the president’s intervention, the directive did not extend to the hundreds of thousands of federal civilian workers who remain furloughed or working without pay. The White House budget office began laying off federal employees on Friday, and Trump has not announced a similar workaround for their salaries. While federal workers typically receive back pay after a shutdown ends—a policy codified by Trump during his first term—the uncertainty and financial strain remain acute. It was also unclear whether the directive would cover the U.S. Coast Guard, which, while part of the armed forces, is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime.
The shutdown’s origins lay in a standoff over health care subsidies, but its consequences have spread far beyond Washington. In communities like Hampton Roads, the economic and emotional toll is mounting. As Bashtye Bailey reflected while waiting for groceries, memories of the 2018 shutdown—which lasted over a month—still linger. “It was very stressful,” she said. “I pray that it doesn’t roll into those many days this time around.”
With no clear end in sight and Congress deadlocked, Trump’s move to ensure military pay may have removed one source of pressure—but it has also underscored the far-reaching impact of political gridlock on American families and communities that depend on government stability.
