President Trump’s ‘friend’ donates $130 million to military during government shutdown
The Pentagon has announced that it will accept an anonymous $130 million donation from allies of President Trump that will be used to pay military personnel.
WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown entered its 26th day on Sunday, many people with the power to solve the funding crisis, whose effects for millions of Americans are growing more severe by the day, were nowhere to be found in the nation’s capital.
President Donald Trump departed on a six-day overseas trip as the weekend began, after many members of Congress had already left town. Lawmakers are deeply divided over health care policy, and there appears to be no prospect of bipartisan agreement.
Trump’s trip to Asia, including Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, has left him far removed from the domestic impasse and unable to participate in any negotiations to reopen the government.
Meanwhile, the reality of the shutdown is worsening. As flu season approaches, key federal health data has stalled. The government has warned of a travel meltdown over the holidays.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which serves the more than 40 million low-income people enrolled in the program to receive benefits, will begin to run out in less than a week. In preparation for that cliff, tribal leaders in Montana have begun culling bison herds to feed local residents on a reservation whose population is disproportionately food insecure.
President Trump departs on Air Force One late Friday night and is scheduled to return to Washington on Thursday, October 30th. President Trump told reporters he would need to be present in the nation’s capital to sign the new funding bill, but he didn’t know if lawmakers would be able to resolve the shutdown by the time he returns.
it’s complicated. Transportation Security Administration personnel and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers are considered essential employees. Therefore, they are required to work during the shutdown even if they are not receiving a paycheck.
Although the number of delays overall is fairly low, staffing levels at some air traffic control facilities are causing problems. Earlier this month, the FAA had to delay a flight to Burbank, Calif., after the tower there was deserted for several hours in the evening.
It is important to note that not all delays during the shutdown are due to lack of funds. Regardless of what’s happening in Washington, weather remains a major factor in flight delays.
Still, in previous shutdowns, more of these essential workers started missing work, which led to longer security lines and delays at some airports.
– Zack Wictor and Kathleen Wong
Yes, veterans benefits, including compensation and pension payments, will continue to be paid.
The following VA services remain available and operating normally despite the shutdown.
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Outpatient Clinic, Veterinary Center
- Veterans benefits including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits
- Burial in a VA National Cemetery, Headstone, Marker, and Application for Burial Benefits
- The Veterans Appeals Board continues to decide on veterans’ cases.
- Call center:
- Suicide prevention programs, homeless services, and caregiver support
Lawmakers will continue to receive salaries during the shutdown under Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which protects Congressional salaries.
The Constitution provides that “Senators and Representatives shall receive such compensation as may be established by law and paid from the Treasury of the United States.”
While members of Congress are expected to receive paychecks, some, including Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), have said they will not receive compensation during the shutdown.
– Saman Shafik
No, it is business as usual at Land Transport Bureau offices nationwide. Like the U.S. Postal Service, the agency’s operations are not contingent on Congress passing a funding package.
The Department of Motor Vehicles, a state agency, is financed primarily by the state budget, supplemented by fees charged to drivers.
– Amaris Encinas
When was the longest government shutdown?
The current closure period is 26 days, the second longest in history.
The longest shutdown in history was 35 days during President Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019.
That means if the shutdown continues through Election Day, Nov. 4, the record will be tied. If the current impasse continues, it will become the longest shutdown in history.
Will a government shutdown affect unemployment?
Unemployment compensation is administered by state agencies, not the federal government, so it will continue during the shutdown.
The Unemployment Insurance Program is jointly funded federally and by states through federal and state employer payroll taxes and provides temporary cash benefits to eligible workers who are unemployed.
However, as the shutdown reaches its third week, new applications may experience some delays. The U.S. Department of Labor says it typically takes two to three weeks after an application is submitted for applicants to receive their first check.
Some government employees affected by the government shutdown may be eligible for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE), which is similar to state-run unemployment benefits.
Yes, Social Security payments, including Supplemental Security Income, retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, will continue during the government shutdown.
Social Security benefit programs are considered mandatory expenditures by law and are therefore not affected by the expiration of appropriations. Payments will continue to be made regularly during the shutdown.
Social Security offices will remain open during the closure, but only some services will be available.
Yes, according to Military Times, veterans will continue to receive their paychecks because their funding comes from a different source.
According to the news site vetember.com, the Department of Veterans Affairs has lobbied Congress to fund the department in a two-year budget cycle that would exempt it.
– Jordan Gerard and Melina Khan
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is scheduled for Sunday morning, according to the event’s website and social media accounts.
The annual event, one of the world’s largest marathons, will continue despite the ongoing government shutdown. The race passes through Virginia and Washington, DC, passing some of the most famous landmarks in the country. The event, which was scheduled to start just after 7 a.m., meant residents and runners could expect road closures across the region.
In 2013, when the government shutdown brought work to a standstill in Washington, former President Barack Obama canceled a planned trip to Asia. This week, faced with much the same challenges, President Trump still decided to visit the same region.
Congressional Democrats have been keen to draw that contrast in recent days, criticizing Trump for traveling abroad amid a domestic crisis.
“The President is leaving the country as Americans struggle to make ends meet, federal workers go without pay, and millions of families brace for rising health care costs,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Friday. “Instead of doing his job, President Trump is abandoning it.”
President Trump said the anonymous donor who gave $130 million to the Department of Defense to help pay military personnel during the government shutdown was a U.S. citizen.
“He doesn’t want any publicity,” President Trump told reporters on Air Force One on October 24, en route to Asia. “He prefers not to have his name mentioned, which is very unusual in the world I come from, and in the world of politics they want their names to be mentioned.”
The Pentagon confirmed the donation on Oct. 24, marking a dramatic break from the government’s process of funding the military through federal appropriations appropriated by Congress.
– darren samuel thorn
