As more than a million service members work without pay, the shutdown is hurting military families – and putting national security at risk. 

For America’s military families, the biggest fright this Halloween may be financial.  

Unless Congress acts soon, more than a million active-duty troops will miss their next paycheck on October 31st.   

Earlier this month, President Trump was able to cobble together enough existing Defense Department funding together to pay the troops their October 15th paycheck. But it’s unclear if there’s enough funds leftover to do that again.  

This is perhaps the most visible – and unfair – consequences of a government shutdown. For over three weeks now, all 1.3 million troops have shown up to work every single day, with no guarantee of getting paid.  

Military Families Hit Hardest 

The government shutdown doesn’t just affect furloughed federal employees in Washington.  It weakens the economy, wastes taxpayer dollars, and threatens services Americans rely on like food safety inspections and airport security.  

But our troops feel the pain firsthand.  

Many military families are living paycheck to paycheck to begin with. Junior enlisted troops earn under $30,000 a year in base pay – less than half the U.S. median salary of $62,700. That leads to debt, stress, little to no savings, and – in the most extreme cases – difficulties feeding themselves or their families. This chart lays out the consequences:

Making matters worse, about half of military families are single-income households. Only 39% of service members’ spouses are employed full-time, while another 17.5% work part-time. For the other half whose spouses either can’t find a job or aren’t looking for one, the shutdown is threatening their family’s only source of income.  

It doesn’t help that military members constantly have to uproot their families and start fresh. Troops are relocated every two-and-a-half years on average, and 49% of military spouses say finding work after a move is a “large” or “very large” problem. And military families spend up to $1,000 each time they move on expenses not covered by the military’s relocation stipends.  

At the very least, a country that asks so much of its service members should meet its most basic obligation to them: paying them in full and on time. These are people who put their lives on hold, and sometimes on the line, so the rest of us don’t have to. They miss birthdays, holidays, and milestones back home so the country can keep moving forward. And in too many cases, they have to rely on government assistance just to make ends meet.  

It shouldn’t take a budget deal or a political breakthrough for our troops to receive the paychecks they’ve already earned. 

One of the core beliefs of the No Labels movement is simple: We support, and are grateful for, the U.S. military and law enforcement personnel who keep us safe. That gratitude has to mean more than words. It means keeping faith with those who serve – by paying them what they’re owed, no matter what is happening in Washington. 

National Security Risks 

Every day this shutdown drags on, our military’s ability to defend the country weakens.  

Already, hundreds of thousands of national security employees have been sent home, including: 

  • Nearly half – 45% – of the Department of Defense’s 740,000 civilian employees. 
  • 80% of staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the agency that makes sure our nuclear weapons are safe, secure, and reliable. This is the first time the NNSA has ever had to furlough employees.  

And that’s just the start. Across every branch of the military, vital operations are being scaled back or frozen entirely. 

The National Guard has cancelled most of its weekend training drills, leaving thousands of reservists without the preparation they need for future deployments or emergency response.  

The service academies that train the next generation of military leaders face new obstacles as well. At the Air Force Academy, 100 professors have been furloughed, fitness programs have been suspended, and the application portal closed for prospective students.  

And in what could have long-term consequences, key parts of America’s defense industrial base are being disrupted. 

  • The first test flight of the Air Force’s new Collaborative Combat Aircraft – an autonomous drone system expected to reshape modern warfare – has been postponed. 
  • The Navy has already postponed or cancelled multiple “Industry Days,” briefings that allow private contractors to plan and prepare bids for major defense programs. 
  • Thousands of employees at Navy shipyards were sent home or working without pay, causing delays in building and maintaining our ships and submarines. 

The Department of Defense warned that there will be “little to no contract awards during the shutdown.” That means new weapons programs, maintenance projects, and technology upgrades are effectively frozen. This will lead to higher costs and slower innovation in the technologies that keep the U.S. ahead of our adversaries.  

We’ve seen this before. During the 2013 shutdown, the Pentagon was forced to halt work on the F-35 fighter jet program – the “most advanced fighter jet in the world.” Now, Washington is making the same mistake, risking both our security today and our technological edge tomorrow. 

Every day this shutdown drags on, it weakens the people and institutions that keep America safe. A strong military depends not only on those willing to serve, but on leaders in Washington who keep their word by paying our troops, supporting their families, and protecting the country they defend.