The U.S. government might need to decline a $130 million contribution aimed at covering soldiers’ salaries.
The anonymous donor, whom President Donald Trump referred to as a patriot and “friend of mine” on Thursday, made the donation specifically for soldiers’ pay during the ongoing government shutdown. However, the approval of this donation hinges on a divided Congress.
“On OcOctober3, 2025, the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority,” stated Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. “The donation was made with the stipulation that it be used to offset the costs of Service members’ salaries and benefits. We are thankful for this donor’s support after Democrats chose to withhold pay from troops.”
The amount represents only a small portion of the approximately $7.5 billion the Pentagon dispenses biweekly for soldiers’ salaries, covering less than a day’s wages. Nevertheless, the Anti-Deficiency Act could hinder the acceptance of the entire amount.
“Generally, you cannot spend donated funds because the Constitution and the Anti-Deficiency Act prohibit spending without an appropriation,” explained Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress, in comments to the Washington Post.
Kogan noted that while there have been limited cases where Congress allowed donations for parks, museums, or schools, using donations for salaries contravenes the law.
Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, echoed this sentiment in a statement to Fox News. “While the department can acknowledge the donor’s intent, it doesn’t alter the legal requirement for Congress to appropriate funds for military salaries,” she said.
Boccia added that aside from donations for parks and similar entities, the military has limited authority to accept contributions to assist servicemembers or their families affected by combat injuries or fatalities.
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“The only way to circumvent this restriction would be for Congress to reclassify troop pay as mandatory or direct spending,” Boccia remarked.
As of Friday, the government shutdown has persisted for over 23 days, with no resolution in sight as Republicans and Democrats engage in a messaging battle, each blaming the other.
