Representative Tran Meets with Military Families Impacted by Shutdown
Washington, DC – U.S. Representatives Derek Tran (CA-45) and Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) heard directly from advocates from the National Military Family Association (NMFA) about how the ongoing government shutdown has significantly disrupted troops’ pay, leaving military families across the country unsure of how they will make ends meet. Representatives with the NMFA emphasized that despite funds being reallocated for troop pay, many servicemembers still have not received their paycheck or were paid less than they were owed.
As the federal shutdown enters its third week, Speaker Johnson still refuses to call the House back to vote on legislation that would guarantee servicemembers are paid through the duration of the shutdown. Representatives Tran and Vasquez wrote to Speaker Johnson to urge a House vote on legislation that would ensure troops are paid throughout a shutdown.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from military families whose lives have been disrupted by this senseless shutdown. Our troops are putting their lives on the line for our country, but can’t even count on our government to pay them what they’re owed. They take on second jobs, skip necessary medical care, and even avoid buying groceries just to get by – that’s unacceptable,” said Representative Tran. “Service members are fighting for our freedom, but many don’t know how they’ll pay their bills or keep food on the table. They have our backs; Congress needs to have theirs. I’m grateful to the folks who shared their stories today, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure our military personnel and their families get the pay and resources they’ve earned.”
Delays and errors in troop pay place extra strain on the more than 1 in 4 military families who don’t have enough to eat.
Further, thousands of nonessential federal personnel have been furloughed, causing critical delays in servicemembers’ ability to access their housing.
As an Army Veteran himself, Representative Tran is committed to delivering for those who have committed their lives to serving this country. His first piece of legislation, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, supports the livelihoods of the Veterans who were wrongfully removed from their civil service positions and allows them to continue giving back to their country as part of the federal workforce. Tran is an original cosponsor of H.R. 5401, the bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act of 2026, which would guarantee pay for military personnel for the duration of the government shutdown. On September 17, Tran’s bipartisan Delivering Digitally for our Veterans Act, which aims to streamline the administration of Veterans’ educational benefits through the G.I. Bill, unanimously passed the House. Tran has also been a vocal advocate of Orange County’s first-ever Veteran cemetery at Gypsum Canyon, and signed onto two letters urging federal support for its construction.
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Congressman Derek Tran represents California’s 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.