White House Blasts Jeffries as GOP Moves to Pay Troops During Shutdown
The White House publicly criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as tensions rose over the government shutdown and a GOP push to guarantee military pay. The administration framed the issue as a choice between protecting troops and opposing policies it says favor free benefits for illegal immigrants. “[Rep. Jeffries], making sure U.S. troops get paid while Democrats keep the government shut down for free healthcare for illegal aliens — that’s called putting America First. But you wouldn’t know about it,” the White House wrote on X in response to Jeffries’ remarks.
Senator Ron Johnson introduced a bill aimed at ensuring pay and allowances for excepted federal employees during a lapse in appropriations, targeting military pay as a priority. The legislation’s title and intent are straightforward: appropriate funds for pay and allowances for periods worked during a funding lapse. Senate Republican leadership moved the measure onto the calendar to position it for a prompt vote.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune added the bill to the schedule, signaling urgency from the GOP. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would bring the measure to a House vote if it clears the Senate, underlining Republican alignment on protecting the force. The strategy is to act quickly to secure pay for troops while the broader budget fight continues.
Democrats raised objections, noting the proposal does not cover furloughed civilian employees and therefore is not a full government reopening plan. Jeffries argued the bill falls short of addressing the high cost of living and what he called a “Republican healthcare crisis,” insisting a comprehensive reopening is necessary. “My understanding is that that is not a comprehensive bill that actually is designed to reopen the government while at the same time addressing the issues that need to be confronted on behalf of the American people, which include lowering the high cost of living and decisively addressing the Republican healthcare crisis,” Jeffries told reporters on Monday.
Jeffries also labeled the effort politically selective, a charge Republicans reject as unfair to service members. He warned the bill hands discretionary power to the president to decide who gets paid and who does not. “So, it’s not legislation that I support because it appears to be more like a political ploy to pick and choose — giving Donald Trump discretion — which employees should be compensated and which employees should not be compensated. All employees should be compensated, and that will happen when we reopen the government,” he added.
The White House responded by sharing a screenshot highlighting Jeffries’ words and criticizing the tone of his objections, keeping the spotlight on contrast between the parties. Republicans argued the move to prioritize military pay is consistent with putting the nation and its troops first. The public back-and-forth reflects a broader messaging battle over who is protecting everyday Americans during a stalled appropriations process.
President Trump supplemented the legislative effort with executive action directing the Defense Department to keep pay flowing to active-duty troops and reservists on service orders. The order, issued as National Security Presidential Memorandum-8, instructs the Pentagon to use available fiscal year 2026 funds to cover military pay and allowances. Officials have not fully detailed how the department will reallocate funds to implement that directive.
Democrats objected, saying the president overstepped by bypassing Congress, while the White House and GOP leaders defended the step as necessary to preserve military readiness. Republicans point to Article II authority and commander-in-chief duties to justify decisive moves when appropriations stall. Jeffries’ office did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on the debate or the new bill.
