Members of the Louisiana National Guard patrol the perimeter of Union Station in Washington D.C. on Aug. 26, 2025.

The next scheduled payday for military members is quickly approaching, but if the government shutdown continues, it remains uncertain whether they will receive a paycheck.

Active-duty military service members are paid twice monthly, including at the middle and end of the month. The next scheduled payday is Oct. 31, according to the Department of Defense.

On Oct. 15, members of the military were paid as scheduled after a push from President Donald Trump — he signed a memorandum directing the defense department to pay service members with any funds "that remain available for expenditure." It's unclear whether this order applies to the Oct. 31 payday.

Most other federal workers are paid on a biweekly schedule, which marks the next payday as Oct. 24. However, with the exception of the military and some Department of Homeland Security officers, who will receive a "super check" on Oct. 22, all other essential federal workers have gone without pay during the shutdown.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Department of Defense and White House for comment.

Will military members get paid on Oct. 31?

As it currently stands, it appears that military members will go without pay on Oct. 31. However, it's possible that could change.

A group of Republican senators led by Wisconsin's Ron Johnson introduced a bill on Oct. 15 known as the Shutdown Fairness Act, which would ensure pay for military members who remain on the job during a government shutdown. The bill is expected to be voted on this week.

However, it doesn't appear to be receiving Democratic backing so far. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters at a press conference on Oct. 20 that he doesn't support the legislation "because it appears to be more like a political ploy to pick and choose, giving Donald Trump discretion which employees should be compensated."

"It’s my understanding that that is not a comprehensive bill that actually is designed to reopen the government, while at the same time addressing the issues that need to be confronted on behalf of the American people, which include lowering the high cost of living and decisively addressing the Republican health care crisis," Jeffries said.

Will the military get backpay after the shutdown ends?

All federal workers, including military members, will receive "retroactive pay" after the shutdown ends for any hours logged during the lapse that they weren't paid for, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

During the shutdown, essential employees who are still working should continue to document their hours in accordance with special instructions from their agency's payroll provider, according to OPM.

The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which was passed during the last government shutdown, says that federal workers who are furloughed during a lapse in government funding "shall be paid for the period of the lapse."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will military members be paid on Oct. 31? What we know so far

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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