During the shutdown
Pentagon accepts anonymous 130 million donation – what Trump says about it
The current shutdown is already the second longest in US history. Now the government has confirmed an unusual step.
The Pentagon has confirmed the acceptance of an anonymous donation of millions to help pay soldiers during the ongoing budget impasse. The US Department of Defense, now referred to by the government as the Ministry of War, accepted the donation of 130 million US dollars (around 112 million euros) on Thursday and was authorized to do so, a spokesman said upon request on Friday (local time).
Typically, the budget for the US military is covered by public funds. Paying soldiers through private donations would therefore be unusual – and, according to critics, possibly illegal. In any case, the donation will hardly be able to cover the entire wage costs, which totaled around 6.5 billion US dollars in the first half of this month alone, as the portal “Politico” reported, citing government officials.
Shutdown: Trump calls donor a “patriot”
US President Donald Trump had already said on Thursday that a friend had told him that he wanted to personally make up for a financial gap caused by the so-called military shutdown. The Republican did not say who the donor was. Trump called him a “patriot” – and once again blamed the Democrats for the partial standstill of government business.
The shutdown has already lasted more than three weeks and is already the second longest in US history. Democrats and Republicans continue to blame each other for the blockage and have so far been unable to agree on an interim budget in Congress. In order to pass a budget, the Republicans are dependent on votes from the Democrats, despite their majority in both chambers of parliament.
The last government shutdown at the turn of the year 2018/2019 was the longest to date at 35 days. It came during Trump’s first term as US President.
Due to the shutdown, numerous federal authorities are currently restricting their work and only carrying out urgently necessary tasks. According to government figures, many employees are not paid.
Two weeks ago, Trump announced that he would reallocate money to the army in order to ensure that soldiers were paid – which was still pending at the time.
DPA
due
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
