Vice President Vance says troops will be paid as pressure mounts to end the shutdown

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that U.S. military members will continue to receive paychecks this week, even as the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week — the second-longest in U.S. history.

Vance told reporters after meeting Senate Republicans that the administration is working to “keep as much open as possible,” but urged Democrats to “help us out” to end the funding impasse. Millions of Americans now face delays in food assistance, stalled airport operations, and missing paychecks.

The shutdown, which began on October 1, has brought critical federal programs to a halt. More than 130 Head Start preschool programs risk losing grants, affecting over 65,000 children, and food stamp benefits are set to run out within days.

A federal judge in San Francisco also barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the shutdown, ruling that the cuts appeared “politically motivated.”

Despite repeated Senate votes, lawmakers have failed to reach the 60-vote threshold to reopen the government. Democrats are demanding that any funding bill also address rising health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act, while Republicans insist on reopening the government first.

With frustration growing nationwide, both sides face mounting public pressure to find a solution.

 (AP)