【Text by Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】On October 11 local time, the Trump administration in the United States stated that during the federal government shutdown, it would use unspent funds allocated for research and development to pay military salaries.

"I am exercising my authority as Commander-in-Chief, directing our 'Secretary of War' Pete Hegseth to use all available funds to pay our soldiers' wages on October 15," President Donald Trump wrote on social media that day.

Reuters reported that day that Trump did not disclose the source of the funds or the total amount used for military salaries. The White House also did not respond to requests for comment. A Pentagon official said that if the government shutdown continued after October 15, about $8 billion originally earmarked for research, testing, and evaluation would be used to pay military salaries.

This announcement came on the 11th day of the U.S. federal government "shut down," which was triggered by a funding deadlock between Trump and the Democratic minority in Congress. Due to the failure of bipartisan senators in the Senate to pass a temporary funding bill, the U.S. government shut down again at midnight local time on October 1.

Currently, the Republicans hold control of both chambers of Congress, but to get the 60 votes needed for the funding bill in the Senate, Republicans must convince at least seven Democratic senators to support the bill.

However, Democrats are using this advantage, hoping to force Trump and Republican leaders to make concessions, agreeing to extend billions of dollars in subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Democratic lawmakers have insisted that without solving this issue, they will refuse to support the government funding bill.

U.S. government "shut down", multiple federal public services across the country affected, CNN video screenshot

October 15 is the U.S. military payroll date, but now there is a risk of being unpaid.

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers and senior assistants told CNN that Democrats are anxious about the possibility of current military personnel missing their salary, as this has never happened on a large scale in modern U.S. history, but the Democratic leadership decided to stick to its position and not compromise.

"I will continue to fight until the end," said Raphael Warnock, a Democratic senator from Georgia. "I come from a state with many military personnel. They should get their pay, and working people should also get healthcare. This is not an either-or issue, but something that can be done together." Warnock mentioned that a retired librarian from his state called him, saying his basic health coverage costs would jump from $441 per month to over $1,100.

"We want to see soldiers get their pay," said Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, during a face-to-face conversation with reporters on October 8. "The best way is for Republicans to sit down with us and negotiate."

According to reports, it's not just the military; employees in many industries across the U.S. will miss the payroll deadline. However, many Democrats believe they have the upper hand in public opinion. They point out that polls show more voters blame the Republicans. According to a survey published by The Washington Post on October 7, 47% blamed Trump and the Republicans, 30% blamed the Democrats, and 23% were unsure.

Reuters stated that in his social media post, Trump said he "would not allow" Democrats to use a dangerous government shutdown to hold the military and the entire nation's security hostage. He promised to cooperate with them on healthcare issues if the Democrats agreed to reopen the government.

However, with no signs of a resolution in the short term, the Trump administration has begun to fulfill previous threats, cutting thousands of federal workers.

According to the Associated Press, a court filing released on October 10 local time showed that the White House Office of Management and Budget had started mass layoffs of federal employees, with over 4,000 expected to be laid off.

Since the 1970s, the U.S. federal government has shut down more than 20 times due to budget interruptions caused by partisan policy differences, most of which lasted only a few days. The most recent and longest shutdown occurred during Trump's first presidential term.

On October 8 local time, Democratic senators in the U.S. Senate voted for the sixth time to block a bill aimed at ending the federal government shutdown. Currently, the U.S. federal government shutdown has entered its second week, and there has been little progress in finding a solution.

CNN reported on October 10 local time that Democratic lawmakers will "stick to their position" and are prepared to confront the Republicans for weeks. A senior assistant to a Democratic Congress member said that now public opinion is in favor of the Democrats, so "unless a plane falls from the sky," they will not compromise with the Trump administration and the Republicans.

Indeed, Americans are extremely sensitive to the phrase "a plane falling from the sky." On the same day, White House press secretary Levitt and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched attacks, accusing Democrats of "hostaging public opinion." Levitt called the statement "disgusting," while Duffy strongly criticized Democrats as "low and despicable."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560116133177639458/

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