Pentagon allocates money from research to pay the troops as government shutdown continues

(CNN) – The Pentagon is moving billions of dollars allocated for research to pay troops as the government shutdown continues.

A Pentagon spokesperson said President Donald Trump directed the Secretary of Defense to use available funds to pay service members on Oct. 15.

The decision comes after the Department of War discovered $8 billion of unspent Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation funds.

That money will be used to ensure troops will have a paycheck if the funding lapse continues past Wednesday.