Congressman Derek Tran, a U.S. army veteran, is keeping the pressure on Washington to ensure America’s service members and their families are paid during the Republicans’ government shutdown.
Earlier this month, Tran and Congressman Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to Speaker Johnson urging him to bring House Republicans back to work to pass a permanent solution to ensure service members are paid. Johnson has refused.
“What would I do if I can’t afford groceries and to make sure that my family is fed? I’m listening to them, I hear them. I just need my Republican colleagues to step up and make sure they get back to D.C. here and do the right thing.” – Rep. Tran
While Congressional Republicans refuse to act, the stakes couldn’t be higher for military families already struggling to make ends meet. Military spouse Heidi Campbell spoke out: “We are an active duty family, and so we’re directly impacted by missed paychecks…The military is nonpartisan. We show up and we do our job and we honor our oath…it’s a matter of right and wrong.Refusing to pay our military – that’s wrong.”
While military families were able to breathe a sigh of relief when the direct deposit registered in their accounts this week, veteran Janet Sanchez says that relief is only temporary.
“What are we going to do on the next paycheck when we don’t know if it’s going to be there?” she questioned.
Sanchez… is not just a veteran, but a military spouse and mother. Alongside Heidi Campbell, another military spouse, the pair visited Capitol Hill…to meet with lawmakers.
“We are an active duty family, and so we’re directly impacted by missed paychecks…” Campbell said. “So that stress is going through our every day…”
Last week, Reps. Derek Tran… and Gabe Vasquez… wrote a letter to Speaker Johnson asking him to bring the House back into session to pass a standalone bill to ensure members of the military continue to receive a paycheck. Johnson has declined to do so.
Tran, an army veteran himself, said hearing stories like Campbell and Sanchez’s made him think of his own family.
“It’s heartbreaking to sit in a room with them, to feel their anxiety and their fear of not being able to put food on the table for their families,” Tran said. “What would I do if I can’t afford groceries and to make sure that my family is fed?” – Rep. Tran
According to the Military Family Advisory Network, one in four active-duty military families faces food insecurity even when there is no interruption in pay.
Sanchez and Campbell say they hope politics can be put aside…
“When our military members go on deployment or raise their hand to serve this country, they’re not thinking about any party. They’re thinking about the safety of this country, they’re thinking about supporting their own families…” – Veteran Janet Sanchez
“The military is nonpartisan. We show up and we do our job and we honor our oath… it’s a matter of right and wrong,” said Campbell. “Refusing to pay our military – that’s wrong.”
