Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
DEMOCRAT
As of October 19, 2025, the U.S. federal government has been in a shutdown for over two weeks, starting on October 1. The impasse stems from partisan disagreements over spending priorities: Republicans advocate for a "clean" continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at current levels through mid-November without additional policy riders.
Democrats, however, led by Senator Schumer, are demanding the inclusion of extensions for enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies set to expire at year's end (and they passed two laws that require that expiration).
The Schumer shutdown has furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers and depleted funding for programs like the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition initiative. Military personnel (about 1.3 million active-duty members) are considered essential and continue working.
To avoid service members missing their mid-October paychecks, President Trump issued a memorandum on October 15 directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to repurpose approximately $8 billion in unspent fiscal year 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) funds—primarily from research, development, testing, and evaluation (R&D) accounts—to cover pay and allowances.
The White House argues this falls under the president's Commander-in-Chief authority and statutory flexibility for appropriated funds with a "reasonable, logical relationship" to military needs (citing 31 U.S.C. § 1301(a)). A similar approach was used for Coast Guard pay via funds from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed in July 2025.
Democrats have strongly criticized Trump's fund reallocation as illegal and an overreach.
- Rep. Jim Himes called it "probably not legal," arguing it requires congressional legislation, not executive fiat.
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, accused the administration of "violating the law left and right" in spending decisions.
- Senate Democrats, including Schumer, have blocked standalone military funding bills (e.g., a $852 billion full-year Defense appropriations measure on October 16, which failed 50-44) unless paired with broader shutdown-ending measures like ACA extensions.