Military Families Face Strain Amid Longest U.S. Government Shutdown as Billionaire Steps In to Cover Partial Pay

The ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now the longest in history, has intensified financial pressure on military families, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck. Local food assistance programs near military bases have reported a sharp increase in demand, according to Military Times.

At the end of October, a private donation brought temporary relief. President Donald Trump announced that an anonymous “patriot” had contributed $130 million to cover military pay during the shutdown, calling the contribution “an extraordinary act of generosity.” Trump described the donor as a “great American citizen” who preferred to remain unnamed.

The donor was later identified by The New York Times as Timothy Mellon, an 83-year-old banking heir and grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon. Mellon has been a major political contributor in recent years, giving hundreds of millions to support Trump and Republican causes, as well as donations to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign and anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense.

While the donation offered short-term relief, legal experts have raised concerns. Federal law, including the Anti-Deficiency Act, generally prohibits agencies from spending funds not approved by Congress, creating potential legal questions about accepting private donations for military pay.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) expressed concern about the anonymity of the contribution, noting that it could set a troubling precedent: “Using anonymous donations to fund our military raises troubling questions of whether our own troops are at risk of literally being bought and paid for by foreign powers,” a spokesperson said.

The $130 million donation represents only a fraction of the $6.5 billion needed every two weeks to cover all military pay and benefits, equating roughly to $100 per service member. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that, without congressional action, service members may not receive their November 15 paycheck.

“The funds we were able to provide in mid-October and again in early November are limited,” Bessent said on CBS. “By November 15, our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives aren’t going to be able to get paid unless the shutdown ends.”

The shutdown continues to strain military families, leaving Congress to navigate a politically contentious path to full funding.