WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he expects U.S. military personnel to be paid by the end of the week. But he did not specify how the Trump administration will reshape funding as the pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide.
The fight over funding in Washington has taken on greater urgency this week as millions of Americans face the loss of food aid, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports disrupt their travel plans.
“We believe we can continue to pay the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. “We have food stamp benefits that are expiring in a week. We’re trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need Democrats to actually help us.”
The vice president reiterated Republicans’ strategy to persuade a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for emergency funding to reopen the government. But almost a month after the shutdown, it didn’t work. Shortly before Vance’s visit, a Senate vote on legislation to reopen the government failed for the 13th time.
The federal employees union is calling for an end to the shutdown
Pressure is growing on Democratic lawmakers to end the impasse. That was reinforced by the nation’s largest federal employees union, which on Monday called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the two political parties have made their case.
“It’s time to pass a clear, continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures and no gimmicks,” said Kelley, whose union has significant political clout among Democratic lawmakers.
Still, Democratic senators, including those representing states with immense federal workforces, appeared unwilling to budge. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he is insisting on commitments from the White House to stop the government from laying off more workers en masse. Democrats also want Congress to extend subsidies for health plans under the Affordable Care Act.
“We have to make a deal with Donald Trump,” Kaine said.
But downtimes become more painful the longer they last. Soon, as the closures enter a fourth full week starting Tuesday, millions of Americans are likely to experience the difficulties firsthand.
“This week more than any other, the consequences are clear,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.
How will the Trump administration reconfigure funding?
The country’s 1.3 million dynamic military personnel were at risk of losing their paychecks on Friday. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by reallocating $8 billion from military research and development funds to payroll. Vance did not say Tuesday how the Defense Department will pay troop salaries this time.
Additionally, the Trump administration says funding for the food assistance program, which 42 million Americans rely on to supplement their grocery bills, will expire on Friday. The government has rejected using more than $5 billion in emergency funds to keep benefits flowing into November. And it says states will not receive a refund if they temporarily cover the cost of services next month.
A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts on Tuesday that seeks to keep SNAP benefits flowing by forcing the Department of Agriculture to employ emergency SNAP funds.
Vance said reconfiguring funding for various programs like SNAP is like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole in the budget.”
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the emergency fund is intended to lend a hand respond to emergencies such as natural disasters. Democrats say the decision regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, conflicts with the department’s previous guidance regarding its operation during a shutdown.
New York Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the administration made a conscious decision not to fund SNAP in November, calling it an “act of cruelty.”
Another program at risk from closure is Head Start. According to the National Head Start Association, more than 130 preschool programs will not receive federal funding as of Saturday if the shutdown continues. In total, more than 65,000 seats in Head Start programs across the country could be affected.
Will the legislature find a solution?
In the Capitol, members of Congress particularly emphasized the challenges that many Americans are facing as a result of the shutdown. However, there was no movement towards negotiations as attempts were made to shift blame to the other side of the political aisle.
“Now government workers and all other Americans affected by this shutdown are no more than pawns in the Democrats’ political games,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
The House of Representatives passed a short-term standing resolution on September 19 to maintain funding for federal agencies. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has since kept the House out of the legislative session, saying the solution is for Democrats to simply pass this bill.
But the Senate has consistently fallen low of the 60 votes needed to pass this spending measure. Democrats insist that any bill to fund the government also address health care costs, namely the soaring health insurance premiums that millions of Americans will face next year under plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Window shopping for health insurance is delayed
When asked about his strategy for ending the Shumer, Schumer said that starting Saturday, millions of Americans will see how much their health insurance will escalate next year.
“People in more than 30 states will be appalled, horrified when they see their bills,” Schumer said. “And they will scream, and I think the pressure on Republicans to negotiate will increase.”
The window for enrolling in ACA health plans begins Saturday. In recent years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed Americans to preview their health insurance options about a week before open enrollment. But as of Tuesday, Healthcare.gov appears to be showing 2025 health insurance plans and estimated prices instead of next year’s options.
Republicans insist they will not begin negotiations on health care until the government reopens.
“I am particularly concerned about rising premiums for working families,” said Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa. “So we’re going to have that conversation, but we’re not going to have it until the government opens up.”
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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
