President Donald Trump on Saturday directed the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to ensure service members receive paychecks despite the ongoing government shutdown, a move that offers relief to military families but leaves hundreds of thousands of other federal employees without pay or job security.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration plans to tap about $8 billion in unused Pentagon research and development funds to cover military salaries through mid-October. The White House framed the decision as a show of support for the armed forces, calling it “the least we can do for those who defend our country.”

But the directive is already sparking legal and political controversy. Under the Antideficiency Act, federal agencies are prohibited from spending money that hasn

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