President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has directed the Defense Department to use 'all available funds' to ensure US troops are paid Wednesday despite the government shutdown, a short-term fix that will not apply to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed. Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because 'our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.'

The Republican president's directive removes one of the pressure points that could have forced Congress into action, likely ensuring that the shutdown ' now in its 11th day and counting ' extends into a third week and possibly beyond. But no similar action seems forthcoming for federal employees also working without pay while thousands are now being laid off during the lapse in government operations. The White House budget office started the layoffs on Friday.