VP Vance says troops will be paid but gives no | Political News

Vice  President JD Vance said on Tuesday that he believes U.S. navy members will be paid at the end of the week, but didn’t specify how the federal government plans to reconfigure funding in the second-longest authorities shutdown.

The funding battle has gained new urgency as tens of millions of Americans face the prospect of shedding food help, more federal staff miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl journey plans.

“We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. “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 Republicans’ strategy to strive to get a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the federal government, however, at this level the shutdown has practically lasted for a month.

Just before the VP’s go to, Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s thirteenth attempt to advance the laws failed once again.

With the federal government closure lasting a fourth full week as of Tuesday, tens of millions of Americans are probably to expertise the difficulties firsthand.

“This week, more than any other week, the consequences become impossible to ignore,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference.

1.3 million energetic obligation service members had been at risk of lacking a paycheck on Friday, but the Trump administration ensured they had been paid by shifting $8 billion from navy research and development funds to make payroll. However, the VP didn’t say on Tuesday how the troop pay would be lined this time.

Th administration says funding will run out Friday for the food help program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery payments, rejecting the use of more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep advantages flowing into November. The authorities has also said states gained’t be reimbursed if they briefly cowl the associated fee of advantages next month.

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The Agriculture Department says the contingency fund is meant to help reply to emergencies such as natural disasters. Democrats say the choice regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, recognized as SNAP, goes against the division’s earlier steerage regarding its operations during a shutdown.

Senate Democratic chief Chuck Schumer of New York said the administration deliberately selected not to fund SNAP in November, calling it an “act of cruelty.”