President Donald Trump is now the only person with the power to keep 1.3 million active-duty military members from missing their paychecks Wednesday after the Senate failed to act on spending legislation Thursday then left Washington for the long holiday weekend.
If all active-duty troops are not paid on time, it would be a first in U.S. history.
Trump, however, has publicly assured servicemembers several times now that they will get their pay regardless of the shutdown. White House officials have been reviewing options to shift funding around to avoid the pay lapse, and many Republicans on Capitol Hill believe Trump will intervene — even amid questions about the legality of the move.
But senior Hill Republicans are arguing they need to let troop pay lapse in order to demonstrate the real consequences of Senate Democrats blocking the short-term spending bill the House passed last month, according to four people granted anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes strategic conversations.
If Democrats can make it through the Oct. 15 troop pay deadline without feeling overwhelming political consequences, the shutdown will drag on for weeks, those Republicans argue.
Many congressional Republicans have pushed their leaders to pass a standalone bill allowing troop checks to go out, but those leaders are holding firm against it — leaving intervention by Trump as the only other way to pay troops at this point. House GOP leaders have no plans to try to pass troop pay legislation led by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) by unanimous consent during the House’s pro forma session Friday, according to three people granted anonymity to describe plans.
Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week that Monday is the real cutoff point for a decision given the Pentagon’s payroll process. Now with both chambers out of town until after that deadline, it’s up to Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, asked in a brief interview Thursday night about the troop pay, replied with exasperation: “Open up the government.” As far as the options Trump officials have been discussing, Thune said he’s been “talking constantly” with the White House but wasn’t aware of Trump’s latest statement on the matter.
Thune made clear earlier this week he didn’t believe such a vote was necessary, jumping in after Johnson seemed open to the idea when the two appeared together at a news conference. Thune has floated trying to move a stand-alone Defense Department funding bill, but that would take buy-in from Democrats and wouldn’t be passed before the paycheck deadline.
Johnson has since closed the door to the possibility of a stand-alone troop pay bill.
“We’ve had that vote,” Johnson told Fox News Friday morning. “And now they realize the real consequences, I think the House Democrats have realized the real consequences of what they’ve done. And it’s shameful.”
Benjamin Guggenheim contributed to this report.
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