WASHINGTON – Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence Tuesday that U.S. military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he offered no details on how the Trump administration would secure the funding as the second-longest government shutdown in history continues to impact the nation.
The funding impasse in Washington has intensified, with millions of Americans facing the loss of food assistance, more federal workers missing a full paycheck, and recurring delays at airports disrupting travel.
“We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after a lunch with Senate Republicans. “We’ve got food stamp benefits that are set to run out in a week. We’re trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need the Democrats to actually help us out.”
Vance reaffirmed the Republican strategy of attempting to persuade a handful of Senate Democrats to support a stopgap funding measure. However, nearly a month into the shutdown, the effort has been unsuccessful. Just before Vance’s visit, a Senate vote on a bill to reopen the government failed for the 13th time.
The pressure on lawmakers is mounting. On Monday, the nation’s largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees, called for an immediate end to the shutdown. “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” said union president Everett Kelley. “No half measures, and no gamesmanship.”
Despite this, Senate Democrats, including those from states with large federal workforces, have not shown any signs of conceding. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he is demanding a commitment from the White House to prevent mass firings of federal workers. Democrats are also pushing for an extension of health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. “We’ve got to get a deal with Donald Trump,” Kaine stated.
As the shutdown enters its fourth week, the consequences are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. “This week, more than any other week, the consequences become impossible to ignore,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference.
The nation’s 1.3 million active-duty service members are at risk of missing their Friday paycheck. While the Trump administration previously covered payroll by shifting $8 billion from military research funds, Vance did not specify how the Department of Defense would cover this week’s pay.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps 42 million Americans buy groceries, is also set to expire on Friday. The administration has refused to use a $5 billion contingency fund to maintain benefits into November and has stated it will not reimburse states that cover the costs temporarily. In response, a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday to compel the Agriculture Department to release the SNAP contingency funds.
The shutdown also threatens over 130 Head Start preschool programs, which are set to lose their federal grants on Saturday. This could affect more than 65,000 children nationwide, according to the National Head Start Association.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction, stating that labor unions were likely to succeed in their claim that the job cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated.
At the Capitol, there was no progress toward negotiations, as congressional leaders from both parties blamed each other for the stalemate. “Government workers and every other American affected by this shutdown have become nothing more than pawns in the Democrats’ political games,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
The House passed a short-term funding resolution on Sept. 19, but Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has since kept the chamber out of session, arguing that the Senate should pass the bill. However, the measure has consistently failed to secure the 60 votes needed for advancement in the Senate.
Democrats maintain that any funding bill must also address the soaring health insurance premiums many Americans face under the Affordable Care Act. “People in more than 30 states are going to be aghast when they see their bills,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, predicting the public outcry would increase pressure on Republicans to negotiate.
The open enrollment period for ACA plans begins Saturday, but the government’s healthcare website had not been updated with next year’s options as of Tuesday. Republicans have insisted they will not discuss health care until the government reopens.
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