Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the Pentagon will not stand down as lawmakers in Washington scramble to come to an agreement to end a fledgling partial government shutdown over an impasse on a spending measure.

In a memo to agency employees, Mattis explained his high expectations for the military during an event that will constrain the U.S. armed forces.

“We will continue to execute daily operations around the world – ships and submarines will remain at sea, our aircraft will continue to fly and our warfighters will continue to pursue terrorists throughout the Middle East, Africa and South Asia,” Mattis said. “While training for reservists must be curtailed, active forces will stay at their posts adapting their training to achieve the least negative impact on our readiness to fight.”

Letter from Secretary Mattis to our great military on #SchumerShutdown

"Steady as she goes – hold the line. I know our Nation can count on you." pic.twitter.com/BvNYQsuAGU — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 20, 2018

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