Trump's Vice President Addresses Military After Government Shutdown Fails for 13th Time

Vice President J.D. Vance said he believes U.S. military personnel will receive their paychecks by the end of the week, but he did not specify how the Trump administration will restructure funding as the effects of the second-longest government shutdown in the nation's history worsen.

According to the Associated Press, the funding crisis in Washington took on new significance this week as millions of Americans faced the risk of losing food assistance, more federal employees missed their first full paycheck, and frequent airport delays disrupted travel plans.

"We believe we can continue to pay our troops, at least for now. We have food stamp benefits that are set to expire in a week. We are trying to keep as many services as possible open. We just need the Democrats to actually help us," Vance told reporters after a lunch with Senate Republicans on the Capitol.

The vice president asserted, "The Republicans' strategy is to try to persuade a few Democrats in the Senate to vote for temporary funding to reopen the government." But nearly a month into the shutdown, that strategy has not worked, and just before Vance's visit, a Senate vote on a bill to reopen the government failed for the thirteenth time.