Axios reported earlier this week that White House officials told them that the approximately $5.3 billion needed to make the military’s payroll by Friday would be secured.
According to Axios, the Office of Management and Budget found $2.5 billion from a military housing fund in President Trump’s domestic policy bill, passed earlier this year, to continue paying housing allowances for military personnel.
Meanwhile, $1.4 billion from a research and development fund will largely cover Air Force and Army payrolls, Axios reported, citing unnamed sources.
That research account normally funds military research and was heavily relied upon two weeks ago to cover mid-month military paychecks.
The Defense and Finance Accounting Service offered no update on its Facebook page Friday. The service’s last post was Oct. 13, when the agency told service members that mid-month Leave and Earnings Statements (LES) were available in the military “myPay” app.
Earlier in October, Trump said a private donor provided the $130 million as a gift to cover pay for the military for the mid-month paycheck.
The federal government shut down when funds ran out starting Oct. 1. An estimated 900,000 federal workers have been furloughed, and an additional 700,000 or so working without pay.
Active-duty military members remain on duty.
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