Who pays for the US military? An anonymous donor donated $130 million to pay soldiers

President Donald Trump's administration intends to use a $130 million donation made by an anonymous person to cover the salaries of military personnel during the ongoing shutdown, the US Ministry of Defense announced on Friday.

Trump described the donor as “his friend” who “doesn't really want the recognition.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained that the money was accepted under the ministry's “general authority to accept donations” and would be used to cover the costs of salaries and benefits for soldiers.

According to CNN, this represents a departure from standard funding procedures that rely on congressional grants. With about 1.3 million active-duty troops, a donation from an anonymous person would amount to about $100 for each military member.

The plan to use the donation caused controversy. Experts and parliamentarians quoted by the media wondered whether the use of private funds to pay soldiers would violate the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits government agencies from spending money beyond limits authorized by Congress.

“Private donations cannot be used to compensate for a lack of funds,” said Bill Hoagland of the Bipartisan Policy Center, an independent think tank promoting bipartisan policy solutions. Democrats on the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee warned that the Pentagon's donation authority mainly applies to schools, hospitals or support for wounded soldiers.

“The use of anonymous donations to fund our armed forces raises troubling questions about whether our troops are at risk of being bribed and paid for by foreign powers,” warned Democratic Senator Chris Coons, quoted by CNN.

Romina Boccia of the libertarian Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, told UPI that even if the Pentagon accepts the funds, Congress must still authorize the use of the money before it can be spent.

Despite Trump's praise for the donor, lawmakers from both parties demanded more details about the person and an explanation of the administration's intentions. According to CNN, the Pentagon, the Treasury and the White House have not yet commented on this request.

UPI recalled that the Senate recently voted on a bill that was supposed to provide funding for the military. However, the majority of Democrats voted against it, which resulted in the rejection of this legal act.

Andrzej Dobrowolski from New York (PAP)

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