Vice President Vance says troops will be paid as pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown

Vice President JD Vance arrives to speak with reporters after emerging from a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he believes U.S. military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration will reconfigure funding as pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide.

The funding fight in Washington gained new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.

“We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after lunch