Coast Guard may now be paid with Pentagon-style money shift

9 hours ago 6

4AllThings Android App

Two Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crewmembers prepare to depart on a mission at the Air Station, December 20, 2024. The MH-65E Dolphin typically carries a crew of four, consisting of two pilots, one flight mechanic and one rescue swimmer. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Auxiliarist Leon C. DeFulgentis)

Coast Guardsmen may join their sister military services in receiving a paycheck this week if a plan to divert money to payroll plays out, a Trump administration official confirmed Monday.

The Coast Guard is within the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense like other armed services, and is not covered by a Trump plan announced in recent days to fund Pentagon paychecks this week.

On Saturday, President Trump posted to social media that he was directing the Department of Defense to use “all available funds” to cover Oct. 15 paychecks for military members. Later that day the Pentagon announced plan to move $8 billion in “unobligated” funds to cover payments.

That left the future of Coast Guard paychecks in limbo.

But Monday, an administration official confirmed that a possible fix for the Coast Guard had been found.

Top Stories This Week

The exact amount of money being shifted and the source of the funding were not immediately disclosed. For the Department of Defense, the $8 billion was drawn from “unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year,” according to a Pentagon spokesperson. It is not clear what will be done to cover later paychecks if the shutdown continues.

While the Trump administration has trumpeted the move, critics say its unclear if either shift in funding is legal. Nearly all funds spent by the military and other government agencies are specifically allocated by congress to specific uses. If Administration officials unilaterally shift money that had been set aside for an as-yet unpaid part of the budget, that could violate the terms of the laws behind the budgets.

A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew breaks off behind U.S. Coast Guard Station Sand Key boat crews during training in Sand Key, Florida, Aug. 13, 2025. U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg units carry out operational missions and are composed of over 825 Active Duty and Reserve Military Members, 27 Civilian, and 1800 Auxiliary personnel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Riley Perkofski)

The Trump administration has not indicated that it plans similar paycheck-saving maneuvers for other parts of the federal workforce.

During the 34-day government shutdown that began in 2018 and ended in 2019, the Coast Guard was not paid while the rest of the military was. While that shutdown was underway, the Coast Guard Support Program, the service’s support arm, put forward a list of suggestions for how troops could make additional money, including babysitting and holding garage sales. The tip sheet was taken down after outcry.

The shutdown is on its 13th day and does not appear closer to ending. Republican leadership in the House of Representatives dismissed calls for a separate measure to fund military pay, and said it would wait for the Senate to pass a bill before it reconvened.