Democrats Shut Down Government Over ‘Not Getting What They Want’ [WATCH]

Vice President JD Vance placed responsibility for the partial federal government shutdown squarely on Senate Democrats, accusing them of taking the government “hostage” after funding negotiations broke down at midnight Wednesday, as reported by Fox News.

Appearing on Fox & Friends, Vance recalled previous Democrat arguments against shutdowns and said they had abandoned their own standard.

“I have seen Democrats stand before the American people and say, ‘You don’t shut down the government because you’re not getting what you want.’ And here they are last night, the far-left faction of Senate Democrats. They shut down the government. Why? Because they’re not getting what they want,” Vance said.

At the center of the standoff is the issue of healthcare subsidies. A Republican measure to extend current funding levels failed earlier in the week after Democrats refused to support it.

Instead, Democrats pushed their own plan that included the extension of pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies, which are not set to expire until later this year.

Vance questioned the urgency of forcing a shutdown over programs that remain months away from expiration. “Why are you shutting down the government on October the 1st, because of a program that doesn’t even expire for another few months?” he asked.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates about 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed daily during the shutdown, with the loss of compensation totaling approximately $400 million per day. Vance noted that the effects will be immediate.

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“People who benefit from low-income food programs are [going to] suffer because of this,” he said. “The TSA and the air traffic controllers are not getting paid today. Our military is not getting paid today… obviously, the longer this drags on, the worse that it is for the American people.”

President Donald Trump met with congressional leaders this week in a bid to prevent a shutdown. It was the first meeting between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries since Trump began his second term.

Vance said the discussion was constructive until Democrats insisted on tying negotiations to the Obamacare subsidy extension.

“It was the four of them, plus me and the president, and we were having a very good conversation about healthcare policy. But the president finally sort of threw up his hands and said, guys, let’s absolutely work on this healthcare policy disagreement. We want to fix this issue for the American people, but we’re not [going to] be taken hostage. We’re not going to shut down the government and then give you everything that you want. Let’s negotiate, but we’re not [going to] reward this behavior.”

Vance stressed that Republicans remain willing to negotiate once Democrats agree to reopen the government.

“I will go to the Capitol right now to talk to Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats about premium support for the Affordable Care Act, but only after they’ve reopened the government,” he said.

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