Vice president says troops will continue to be paid 'at least for now'

By 
 October 29, 2025

It has been nearly a month since Senate Democrats shut down the federal government by refusing to pass a continuing resolution.

While that puts military personnel at risk of not getting paid, Vice President J.D. Vance has confirmed that the money will come through.

Vance: "We can continue paying the troops, at least for now"

According to Breitbart, Vance made the pledge while speaking with reporters following a lunch on Tuesday with Senate Republicans.

"We believe that we can continue to pay the troops on Friday. Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to pay everybody, because we’ve been handed a very bad hand by the Democrats," Vance was quoted as saying.

"This is one of the reasons why you’ve seen some layoffs in the federal workforce. We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now," he added. 

Pentagon has $8 billion in unallocated funds

The Hill noted that the Pentagon holds roughly $8 billion in unspent funds which have been allocated towards research, development, and technology.

Although some Republican Senators have questioned whether legal authority exists to use the money for paying troops, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insists otherwise.

Bessent said during a Sunday interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" that the funds will cover salaries through the end of his month.

"I think we’ll be able to pay them beginning in November, but by November 15 our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives aren’t going to be able to get paid," he predicted.

Trump supporter donates $130 million towards military salaries

Breitbart pointed out how Vance's comments came just days after pro-Trump billionaire Timothy Mellon donated $130 million to help pay soldiers during the shutdown.

In announcing the move, President Donald Trump did not identify Mellon by name, stating that he is a "patriot" and a "friend" who "doesn’t want publicity."

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the contribution this past Friday, explaining that "the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority."

Parnell stressed that the donation was made "on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of service members’ salaries and benefits."

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