End the Standoff, Pay the Troops 

In the winter of 1777, the American colonies stood at a precipice. The British Army occupied the colonial capital of Philadelphia and George Washington’s Continental Army was huddled at Valley Forge.  

Washington understood the politics of his time, but what mattered most to him was the care and feeding of his troops. The politics of our time are also fraught, but the need to take care of our military remains a sacred obligation.   

In a plaintive letter to Congress and state legislatures, Washington laid bare his troubles that winter: “Not less than 2,898 Men unfit for duty by reason of their being bare foot and otherwise naked,” he wrote. “We shall never have a fair and just prospect for success till our Troops (Officers and Men) are better provided than they are or have been.” 

A nation asks much of its military volunteers, who pledge their lives, if necessary, in defense of their nation. These men and women have a right to a paycheck in return. 

“Providing for the common defence” is, after all, a tough business. The term is cited not once but twice in the Constitution: first in the preamble, defining the principal jobs of government, and second in Article 1, Section 8, which assigns to Congress the job to “pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.” 

The good news is that most Active-Duty military will get paid this week—details remain sketchy, but it looks like the Treasury will find enough money to cover the Active-Duty payroll. It is less clear how the National Guard and the Reserve will fare. Civilian defense employees will not be paid.  

Things will likely get worse when the next military payroll is due, Nov. 15. By then, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned, the Pentagon will have run out of flexibility for moving money around.  

Federal civilians are already feeling the squeeze. They haven’t been paid since Sept. 30. In Washington last week, feds emptied a foodbank created for their benefit in just 90 minutes. If it’s that bad after just three weeks without pay, imagine six or eight. That’s where we’re headed if Congress can’t set aside differences.  

The public is beginning to become aware. Morning Consult’s Consumer Confidence index fell this week to its lowest level since July 2024, a drop of nearly 10 percent over the past eight weeks. Things will get worse in November, as aid programs like SNAP and food assistance for women with infant children are suspended. And with federal contracts on hold and small businesses dependent on the military fight for survival, it’s just a matter of time before the fallout impacts the wider economy.  

Charities are insufficient to the payroll need. This is a problem scaled in billions. The military payroll tops $8.5 billion per month; the federal civilian payroll approaches double that. We salute the banks and credit unions that are advancing pay to some federal customers and the charities lining up to help. But let’s be real: There isn’t enough aid to go around, and the most needy, both junior troops and younger feds, will suffer. 

Only Congress can solve this problem. 

If Congress needs more time to work through issues and details, fine. But don’t do it on the backs of our military members and federal employees.    

We must put the needs of the nation—and those entrusted to defend it—ahead of politics. Pay the troops.  

Lt. Gen. Burt Field, USAF, (Ret.), is the President and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association.