Military personnel will be paid on October 31, despite the cessation of funding during the current period. government shutdownThe Pentagon and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) told USA TODAY.
To cover the $5.3 billion in military payments, OMB said, officials withdrew money from three different financial accounts, including $2.5 billion from military expenditure account highlighted within Big handsome Bill.
According to the regular pay schedule for active duty military personnel, Friday, October 31st is payday, according to Ministry of Defense. They are usually paid twice a month, including at the middle and end of the month.
Despite the lack of funds, October 15the military personnel were paid according to schedule after President Donald Trump ordered The Department of Defense will pay military personnel any funds “that remain available for expenditure.”
Most other federal employees are paid biweekly, which includes next payday is November 7th. With the exception of the military and some Department of Homeland Security employeesother federal employees went without pay during the shutdown. Their last partial paycheck on Oct. 10 covered hours worked before the shutdown.
Military salary: Bessent says troops will begin walking without pay by November 15 if quarantine continues
Will military personnel receive pay on October 31?
Yes, military personnel will be paid on Oct. 31, OMB confirmed to USA TODAY.
OMB said a total of $5.3 billion in military pay would be withdrawn from three accounts: $2.5 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill account, $1.4 billion from the Pentagon Acquisition Account and $1.4 billion from the Research and Development Account.
Axios This news was first reported on October 29.
The Pentagon also confirmed that military personnel will be paid. In a statement, the War Department, formally the Department of Defense, expressed gratitude to Trump while—e.g. other agencies in his administration – blaming Democrats.
“President Trump continues to deliver on its promise to take care of the troops, even as Democrats shut down the government and agree that our bravest men and women are not getting paid,” the statement said.
This statement came after Vice President JD Vance told reporters October 28, that military personnel will be paid on October 31, according to reports.
What you need to know about calls to pay the military during quarantine
Despite paying salaries on October 31, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said October 26 this active duty troops will start walking without pay by November 15 if the shutdown continues. USA TODAY has reached out to the Treasury Department for more information.
Earlier in October, the Trump administration announced that accepted a check for $130 million from a private donor to cover the salaries of active-duty military personnel. It is unclear how the check will be used since it apparently was not used to pay salaries on Oct. 31.
Some lawmakers are also pushing to ensure military personnel are paid during the shutdown. A group of Republican senators led by Ron Johnson of Wisconsin introduced a bill on October 15 known as Fair Closure Actwhich would ensure pay for military personnel — and some other essential workers — who remained on the job during the shutdown. However, the bill failed in a Senate vote on October 23.
Will the army receive back pay after the end of quarantine?
Under Fair Treatment of Government Employees Act Under the 2019 Regulation, which was enacted during the last government shutdown, federal workers furloughed during a government shutdown are entitled to back pay for any hours worked during the government shutdown.
This means that all federal workers, including military personnel, will receive retroactive pay after the shutdown ends for any time worked during the period for which they were not paid.
During the shutdown, essential employees who are still working should continue to document their work hours in accordance with the specific instructions of their agency's payroll provider, according to Personnel Department.
Will federal workers get their pay back? What you need to know as the shutdown continues.
Melina Khan is a national reporter for USA TODAY. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will the military be paid on October 31st? Officials find $5.3 billion.
