Former President Trump directed the Defense Secretary to allocate funds to pay U.S. troops, as existing funding was nearing depletion. The directive, issued on Saturday, aims to ensure troop payments by October 15th. Trump asserted his authority as Commander in Chief in this decision, citing available funds for the purpose. Concurrently, the Trump administration initiated plans for significant federal employee layoffs, starting on Friday. These layoffs are expected to impact over 4,100 workers across multiple government agencies. The targeted agencies include Health and Human Services, Treasury, Education, Homeland Security, and others. Rep. Maxine Waters criticized the planned cuts, particularly those affecting the Community Development Financial Institutions. She deemed the planned cuts as unprecedented and unconstitutional. The CDFI fund supports services for low-income communities. The White House has not yet commented on the matter. The impact of these repurposed funds on other agencies remains uncertain. The situation highlights the complexities of the government shutdown.