Military Pay at Risk as Shutdown Drags On Despite Trump’s Temporary Fix: Johnson

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is warning that the Trump administration’s emergency effort to keep military families paid during the ongoing Democrat-driven government shutdown is only a temporary fix — one that could soon run out if Senate Democrats continue to block funding.

At a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday, Johnson praised President Donald Trump’s decisive leadership in rerouting unspent Pentagon research and development funds to cover active-duty military paychecks, but cautioned that the maneuver cannot last indefinitely.

“In spite of President Trump’s heroic efforts to make sure they get paid, that is a temporary fix,” Johnson told reporters. “The executive branch’s help is not permanent. It can’t be.”

“And if the Democrats continue to vote to keep the government closed as they have done so many times, then we know U.S. troops are going to risk missing a full paycheck at the end of this month.”

The shutdown, now entering its third week, began after Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), refused to pass the House-approved continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21.

The Republican bill, passed September 19, would keep federal operations running while lawmakers negotiate a broader budget deal for fiscal year 2026. But Schumer and his caucus have blocked the measure repeatedly, demanding instead a package that includes new spending on Obamacare subsidies and other left-wing priorities.

“This is not a game for the people who are depending on their paychecks,” Johnson said, blasting Democrats for using the shutdown as a political weapon.

The Trump administration’s move to redirect unspent defense funds provided temporary relief for military families who were preparing to miss their mid-October paychecks. But Johnson said the White House and congressional Republicans are now searching for additional legal mechanisms to ensure that troops and federal law enforcement officers continue to receive pay if Democrats refuse to act.

“If there is a mechanism to do that, we will find it,” Johnson vowed.

Meanwhile, thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or laid off, while those deemed “essential,” including active-duty military and border agents, continue to work without guaranteed pay.

Schumer has remained defiant, reportedly telling Democratic senators that the longer the shutdown lasts, “the better it gets for us politically.”

Republicans argue that position is both reckless and heartless.

“Democrats are holding our troops hostage to protect Obamacare subsidies and far-left pet projects,” one GOP staffer told The Federalist. “President Trump is doing everything in his power to keep paychecks flowing — but the Senate needs to do its job.”