President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum significantly expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.
Mr. Trump’s memorandum gives Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, wide authority to repurpose funds, even though no such permission has been granted by Congress.
It states that Mr. Hegseth, in coordination with the White House budget office, should use “any funds appropriated by the Congress that remain available for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2026 to accomplish the scheduled disbursement of military pay.” It says such funds should have “a reasonable, logical relationship to the pay and allowances of military personnel, consistent with applicable law.”
Some Democrats have balked at the way Mr. Trump has repurposed money during the shutdown, arguing that his actions are most likely illegal and undercut Congress’ constitutional power.
But Republicans have been daring Democrats to enter a political fight over the issue of military pay.
“If the Democrats want to go to court and challenge troops being paid, bring it,” Speaker Mike Johnson said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The memo gives the Trump administration broader authority than it had previously assumed to repurpose funds. The administration had already said it planned to tap about $8 billion in unspent research, testing and evaluation money from the prior fiscal year to pay the troops.
Mr. Trump wrote in the memo that active duty military personnel would probably miss their next paychecks, on Oct. 15, because of the shutdown, an outcome that “presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness and the ability of our armed forces to protect and defend our nation,” he wrote.
The federal government has been shut down for more than two weeks as Democrats demand changes to health care policy to avoid significant cost increases for many Americans.
Luke Broadwater covers the White House for The Times.
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