Posted on 10/14/2025 10:32:34 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dared Democrats on Tuesday to challenge President Trump’s administration move to repurpose previously appropriated funds to pay service members during the government shutdown.
“If the Democrats want to go to court and challenge troops being paid, bring it. OK,” Johnson said during a press conference at the Capitol.
The Speaker said his understanding was that the administration had “every right” to move funds that had been appropriated by Congress to the Department of Defense, including research and development accounts that had not been spent and that could be used for military pay.
Trump over the weekend directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to utilize previously appropriated funding to ensure troops are paid as the government shutdown drags on. The move also helped Johnson, who had faced pressure to call the House back to vote on a stand-alone legislation that would secure paychecks for service members.
Some Democrats and policy analysts argued that the administration’s maneuver is likely illegal.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said Sunday while on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the administration’s plan was “probably not” legal.
“I think to pay the military during a shutdown would require legislation. The Speaker of the House has taken that off the table,” Himes said. “So, I mean, is Donald Trump going to say a bunch of stuff? Yes, he’s going to say a bunch of stuff. But I don’t see anything moving.”
A Defense Department official said Saturday the department identified about “$8 billion of unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year that will be used to issue mid-month paychecks to service members” if the government does not reopen by Oct. 15.
Romina Boccia, the director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, told...
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Another 80/20 issue. Democrats seize the 20% option.
Bring it Demscum! Try to keep payday from the deadliest fighting force that has ever existed on this ball of mud.
Our military would still fight even without pay. But they deserve to be paid!!!
PS I actually wouldn’t be too shocked if the moronic Demscum go there.
Trump should do this for all public facing services. Get the air traffic and TSA back to normal staffing and make the democrats sue him to stop paying federal employees. Still plenty of government to shut down and save money. Heck we might actually get a month or two of correctly sized government.
A month or two of not hearing anything from the RAT Party would be nice.
Administration had “every right” to move funds that had been appropriated by Congress to the Department of Defense.
Case closed democrats burn something down kick dogs spit in kids face..................
In before the “Epstein List” morons.
The House did it’s job already. No need to bring them back to session.
“Pay your legions. Nothing else matters”
— Augustus Caesar
DO NOT MESS WITH THE LONE RANGER
DO NOT TUG ON SUPERMAN’S CAPE
DO NOT EAT YELLOW SNOW
DO NOT URINATE INTO THE WIND
DO NOT GRAB AN ELECTRIC FENCE
DO NOT MESS WITH JUNK YARD DOG(S)
DEMS ARE VERY SLOW LEARNERS
Someone inform The Hill it’s the Department of War.
When I was in, a long time ago, junior enlisted personnel literally lived paycheck to paycheck, and even one day's delay could mean that their families went hungry.
And you don’t mess around with Trump. Na na na
👍
I joined the Air Force after high school in 1976. Our Base Pay was less than $400/Mo and even though I was single the taxes gave me very little to spend. I knew folks who were married and life was pretty hard for them.
Many years ago, after my Commissioning, my wife had a job as a Loan Officer at the base credit union. She was always heartbroken when Airmen, or their wives, came in to try to close out their accounts so they could have that $5 to buy food or diapers.My wife had great relation with the base Airman's Attic and would find ways to help them consolidate their debts then she would call the Airman's Attic folks, as well as the WIC people, who gladly would show up to help my wife get those wonderful folks the help they needed to survive.
After I took charge of over 100 missile maintenance troops both my wife and I doubled our efforts to keep all Airmen, especially the maintenance troops, solvent and fed. My men worked directly on the Minuteman III ICBMs and the nuclear weapons that were attached on top. I, we, could not afford to have my men thinking about their possibly starving family while out at the Launch Facilities turning wrenches on a weapon system with three reentry vehicles each with 360Kt yields. I needed my men focused and out there with the knowledge their families were not going hungry and that their leadership cared about them rather than their next promotion.
When the government shutdown can’t be shutdown any longer declare the democrats a terrorist organization and the government shutdown a terrorist attack on our nation. Officially declare the shutdown a national security emergency and fund the government using executive power without congress.
“Pay your legions. Nothing else matters” - Augustus Ceaser
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