Will military members get paid on Oct. 15? Here’s what to know amid shutdown

The federal government has reached the ninth day of its ongoing shutdown, leaving military members in the dark about whether they’ll get paid on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Troops continue to work throughout the shutdown as their roles are considered essential for national security. The shutdown began on Oct. 1.

Legislation would need to pass by Monday, Oct. 13, for troops’ paychecks to be processed on time due to the number of people involved, Reuters reported.

As of Thursday, Oct. 9, there seem to be no signs of the shutdown coming to an end. The Senate is preparing to vote again on reopening, a day after the sixth failed vote.

Here’s everything to know about military pay during the shutdown.

Will military members be paid on time?

The Pentagon told USA TODAY that military members were last paid on Tuesday, Sept. 30, as scheduled, but they will not receive payment again until appropriations are restored.

There are roughly 1.3 million active-duty members who make up the U.S. military, in addition to hundreds of thousands of National Guard members and non-service members employed by the Department of War, who will go without pay if the funding lapse continues.

Troops are expected to receive back pay once the shutdown ends.

Congress sets military pay rates. Lawmakers recently advocated for a 3.8% raise for military members as part of a defense authorization bill, which is expected to pass by the end of the year, Reuters reported. This legislation has received support from members on both sides of the aisle.

President Donald Trump told service members this past weekend that they should expect back pay, adding that he supports a raise. The president made the remarks while speaking at an event commemorating the Navy’s 250th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 5, in Norfolk, Virginia.

"Don't worry about it, it's all coming," the president said, per Reuters.

What legislation has been introduced to ensure military members are paid?

In a statement on Facebook, the National Military Family Association wrote that nearly 35,000 letters have been sent to Congress requesting the passage of H.R. 5401, dubbed the Pay Our Troops Act.

The legislation provides continuing appropriations for military pay during a government shutdown or in the event appropriations are not in effect.

Military members were paid during a shutdown in 2013 thanks to a bill titled the Pay Our Military Act, which required appropriations and funds to be made available, granted and remain available until terms were agreed upon.

Virginia Republican Rep. Jennifer Kiggans introduced the Pay Our Troops Act on Sept. 16, but it was not passed before the shutdown.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected]