As the government shutdown grinds on, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern acknowledged that the dysfunctional Congress is “polarized” as another week of infighting and layoffs looms — as the president vowed to pay the troops.
The Worcester Democrat blamed “the Republicans” for 1.3 million active-duty military service members possibly missing a payday. But later in the day, President Donald Trump vowed, “PAY OUR TROOPS.”
Trump ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to move all of the department’s “available funds” to pay the military during the shutdown, the president wrote on Truth Social. The next paycheck is due to land on Wednesday.
“I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous government shutdown,” Trump added on his post. “The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy.”
McGovern, speaking at a community forum Saturday, put all the heat on the Republicans and the administration.
“The Congress is polarized,” McGovern said, adding he’s “showing up every day” and will report back to DC on Tuesday.
He said healthcare tax credits are being used as the cudgel.
“I’m going back on Tuesday. We’re showing up. We’ve been showing up consistently,” he said of fellow Democrats trying to sway Republicans over Affordable Care Act tax credits running out as scheduled.
Service members remain on duty because they are deemed vital to national security and are not on furlough since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, Reuters reports.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has drawn the most ire from Trump, with the president writing Saturday that the Empire State senator was quoted recently as saying, “Every day gets better” for progressives during the shutdown.
“I DISAGREE,” Trump posted.
Trump did not say where he’s getting the money from but it likely will be funded by the billions of dollars that were pumped into the Defense Department under Trump’s big tax and spending cut bill that he signed in the summer, the Associated Press reported. The Congressional Budget Office said such a move was possible.
“The Administration also could decide to use mandatory funding provided in the 2025 reconciliation act or other sources of mandatory funding to continue activities financed by those direct appropriations at various agencies,” CBO told AP.
The CBO cited the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Management and Budget as among the departments that received specific funds under the law.
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts
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