Key points
- Shutdown pressures lawmakers, unions demand resolution
- Judge blocks Trump from firing workers
- Health insurance premiums rise amid shutdown
WASHINGTON: Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence that US military personnel would receive their pay by the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration would reallocate funds amidst the ongoing shutdown.
The situation is growing dire as millions of Americans face the possibility of losing food assistance, and federal workers miss their first full paycheck, while travel disruptions continue.
“We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after a lunch meeting 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,” reports AP News.
Shutdown deepens tensions
The shutdown has placed increasing pressure on lawmakers, with the nation’s largest federal employee union demanding a resolution. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, called for an immediate passage of a funding bill to ensure federal workers are paid.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats, particularly from states with a significant number of federal employees, are pushing for guarantees against further job cuts.
Despite the challenges, the Trump administration is trying to maintain troop pay by shifting funds, as it did earlier in the month with $8 billion from military research and development. Vance did not clarify how troop pay would be managed this time.
SNAP and other services at risk
The shutdown is also threatening other vital services. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps 42 million Americans, is set to run out on Friday. The administration has rejected using more than $5 billion in contingency funds, which has sparked a lawsuit from 25 states and the District of Columbia.
Vance described the reconfiguration of funds as “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with the budget.” Meanwhile, Head Start programs for more than 130 preschools, serving over 65,000 children, face cuts if the shutdown continues.
A federal judge in San Francisco has barred the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the shutdown, ruling that labor unions are likely to succeed in their lawsuit. The ruling prevents any layoffs or new notices while the case proceeds.
Legal rulings and legislative deadlock
At the Capitol, the partisan gridlock remains. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) blamed Democrats for using shutdowns as political tools.
While the House passed a short-term bill to fund federal agencies, Senate Democrats demand that any bill address rising health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act.
As the shutdown stretches on, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer pointed out that many Americans will soon face significant increases in health insurance premiums.
Schumer believes that once people see these hikes, pressure will build on Republicans to negotiate, though Republicans have stated they will not discuss health care until the government reopens.
