Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times,
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a stark warning that active military service members may not receive their pay by Nov. 15 if the government shutdown continues. Bessent expressed uncertainty about whether all service members would be paid at the start of November, stating, “I think we’ll be able to pay them beginning in November, but by Nov. 15 our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives aren’t going to be able to get paid,” during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning.
The shutdown, initiated on Oct. 1, has led to around 750,000 federal employees being furloughed and others working without pay. However, troops have been paid by the Trump administration during the funding lapse after funds were shifted.
A private donor recently stepped in to help cover the shortfall in troop pay by donating $130 million to support around 1.3 million active service members. President Donald Trump confirmed the donation, stating that the individual who made the contribution wished to remain anonymous.
“He called us the other day and he said, ‘I’d like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown. I’d like to contribute, personally, contribute any shortfall you have with the military, because I love the military and I love the country, and any shortfall, if there’s a shortfall, I’ll contribute it,’” Trump shared during a roundtable meeting with his Cabinet members.
The funding lapse that led to the shutdown occurred due to Congress members being unable to reach an agreement on government funding. Democrats are calling for a measure to reopen the government that includes a permanent extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, among other demands. Republicans argue that these issues should be debated separately and not used as conditions for reopening the government.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emphasized the urgent need to reopen the government, urging Republicans to engage in bipartisan negotiations to reach a spending agreement.
“Which is why we continue to demand that Republicans sit at the negotiating table so we can enact a spending agreement that’s bipartisan in nature,” Jeffries stated. “That’s what we’ve called for from the very beginning.”
When asked about the possibility of congressional Democrats meeting with Trump, Treasury Secretary Bessent expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of such a meeting, calling the Democratic-led boycott into question.
“This is a Democratic-led boycott, and I’m just not sure what they’re doing,” Bessent remarked, urging moderate Democrats to support reopening the government without conditions.
Aside from military pay concerns, the shutdown also poses a threat to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food stamps program, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and states warning of potential disruptions starting Nov. 1.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA recently said in a statement, criticizing Democrats for their refusal to vote to reopen the government.
“They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,”
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