House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned Wednesday that the Trump administration’s strategy to keep military pay flowing during the ongoing government shutdown is only a short‑term patch. At a Capitol press conference, he explained that rerouting unspent Pentagon research and development funds to cover troop paychecks cannot sustain long term. He warned that if Democrats continue blocking full government funding, U.S. service members risk missing their pay at the end of the month.

The shutdown began when the Senate failed to pass a funding measure, forcing federal employees into furlough while essential personnel—such as active military and law enforcement—remain on the job without guaranteed pay. Johnson faulted Senate Democrats for obstructing a clean stopgap funding bill, and said Republicans are weighing alternative measures to maintain payments should the shutdown drag on.

In mid‑October, President Trump directed the Defense Department to use up to $8 billion in unobligated Pentagon R&D funds to ensure that service members receive their October 15 paychecks, even if the shutdown continues. That move, however, is understood as a one‑shot measure—not a sustainable solution.

Johnson has been clear that he will not bring forward a separate bill to explicitly pay the troops during the shutdown, insisting that the House already voted on funding when it passed a continuing resolution (CR) extending government funding through November 21. He placed the onus on Senate Democrats to accept the CR as the path forward.

Looking ahead, Johnson called on Democrats to reopen the government immediately, arguing that political brinkmanship over issues like ACA subsidies should not delay restoring operations. He maintained that the only reliable solution is to pass appropriations legislation, rather than relying on piecemeal workarounds.