Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean is not happy that the troops are being paid. The Trump White House announced that previously appropriated monies will be redirected to ensure our service members get a paycheck. Speaker Mike Johnson approved the move amid the Schumer shutdown.
Democrat Rep. Madeleine Dean is outraged that President Trump is keeping our troops paid during the Democrat Shutdown.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 14, 2025
DEAN: "This is not the way to run a government!" pic.twitter.com/C26BNpVYWk
It’s the right thing to do, given that Democrats are dying on this hill about illegal alien health care and NPR funding. Yet, they’re arguing that this action by the Trump administration isn’t lawful, but they’re not going to throw a fit over it. The reasons are apparent: the optics for going against this are beyond terrible (via Axios):
Democrats in Congress say President Trump's methods for paying military service members and funding food stamps for vulnerable communities are clearly illegal. But they're not keen to fight him on it.
Why it matters: It's a rare instance where Trump is going mostly unchallenged as he ignores Congress' constitutional role in controlling federal spending.
Driving the news: The administration is planning to divert $8 billion in previously appropriated funds for military research and development to pay the troops after Oct. 15, according to Reuters and Politico.
[…]
House Democrats largely told Axios in interviews Tuesday night they disagree with Johnson's assessment that Trump's actions are legal.
"Only Congress has the authority to appropriate money to a federal expenditure," said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.
"It's not like a big fungible fund of money that Donald Trump can take from here and put over there," he added.
[…]
Between the lines: Several House Democrats in battleground district said privately that it would be a massive political headache for them if party members challenged the payments.
"The legality is questionable, but politically I hope Democrats don't do it," said one lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide candid thoughts about the political dynamics around the shutdown.
Said another vulnerable House Democrat: "I'd say that it's a good thing we're helping poor people who are facing food prices and it's good that we're paying the troops."
Recommended
This shutdown is already a mess for Democrats, who have very little to fortify their arguments as this fight lingers. Second, taking the president to court overpaying the troops is a loser; at least they realize that. Also, Axios quoted some Democrats saying they would’ve voted for this move if it were brought to the House floor.
Yeah, sure, Jan. Democrats are opposed to anything Trump does. If the president asked for $400 billion for new cancer research, they’d find ways to oppose it.
Editor's Note: Donald Trump is America's Peace Time President. Support and follow Townhall's latest reporting on the president's historic trip to the Middle East.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member