Will the Coast Guard Get Paid?

Aniela Szymanski, Chief Policy Officer

No clear answers exist. As the federal government shutdown drags into its third week, the next scheduled paycheck for active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces, set for October 31, hangs in the balance. Military personnel continue to serve and uphold national security, yet their pay has become a casualty of political stalemate — leaving service members and their families uncertain about whether they will be compensated on time.

Earlier this month, the administration announced it would redirect approximately $8 billion of previously unobligated research and development funds from the Department of Defense (DoD) to make the mid-October paycheck (October 15) for troops. However, officials explicitly noted that this measure does not guarantee pay beyond that date if the shutdown continues.

​The Coast Guard confirmed on October 13 that its military members would receive their October 15 paychecks despite the shutdown, citing an “innovative solution” developed by DHS. Officials did not provide details on the mechanism used to ensure payment, and no verifiable public information has been released regarding what funds — if any — will be available for the October 31 paycheck. As a result, it remains unclear whether Coast Guard personnel will be paid on that date if the shutdown continues.

This uncertainty leaves approximately 40,757 active-duty Coast Guard members facing the same financial and operational strain as their counterparts in other military branches — still reporting for duty but unsure if or when they will be paid again.

Efforts to pass a standalone bill guaranteeing military pay during a shutdown have stalled. Meanwhile, top congressional leaders say they are focusing on a broader government-funding compromise rather than piecemeal troop-pay fixes. It appears Congress intends to use the military as a way to force that broader government funding to get through Congress and, as long as the troops are getting paid, the pain level is too low to force acquiescence. Service members should not be subjected to political stalemates. Military personnel continue to serve and uphold national security regardless of congressional gridlock, yet their pay remains the bargaining chip. The very part of the US Government that is apolitical is used the most in political gamesmanship.

Leaders in the Senate have indicated they may take up a measure to authorize pay for “excepted” federal employees — including active-duty troops — if the impasse continues. For now, the October 31 paycheck for military personnel hangs in the balance. While the government may find short-term fixes, no categorical guarantee exists absent further legislation or an end to the shutdown. Service members — including those in the Coast Guard — now await clarity on whether their next paycheck will arrive as scheduled, as no verified information has been released about how the Coast Guard might be funded for the end-of-month pay cycle.