US Vice President, JD Vance has said that layoffs will be expected if the government shutdown drags on for another few days or weeks.
Speaking alongside White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt at the first White House news briefing since the federal government shutdown took effect, Vance stated, “We are going to have to lay people off.”
He noted that the administration will have to save money in some places “so the essential services don’t get turned off in other places.”
“That is the reality of the government shutdown that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have foisted upon the administration.”
JD Vance
Vance denied that the Trump administration would target federal workers for layoffs based on their politics.
Also, he expressed doubts about the shutdown being a long one citing “some evidence that moderate Democrats are cracking a little bit.”
Vance repeated the Republican claim that they are willing to have the conversation about healthcare, but the Democrats have taken the government “hostage.” He also blamed the Democrats for the shutdown.
On her part, Leavitt blamed Democrats for the government shutdown and stated that if they cared about healthcare, they would applaud Trump’s measures to lower healthcare costs since he took office, like the deal he announced yesterday with Pfizer to lower prescription drug prices.
“The American people woke up this morning and asked the obvious question: Why is the government shut down right now?
“The answer is pure partisan politics being played by the Democrat Party. The Democrats shut down the government because President Trump and the Republicans will not force American taxpayers to pay for free health care for illegal aliens.”
Karoline Leavitt
While the Democrats are pushing to reverse cuts to Medicaid and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, neither provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants.
Earlier this afternoon, the largely symbolic bills again failed along party lines. The Senate failed to advance Republicans’ stopgap funding bill once again in a 55-45 vote after most Democrats voted against it.
The Republicans needed 60 votes to pass the bill that would fund the government for another seven weeks until 21 November, which would require at least seven Democratic votes if all Republicans supported it.
Three Democrats crossed party lines to support the measure as they did last night: Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Angus King of Maine. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against.
The Senate also voted 47-53, with all Republicans opposed, to reject a Democrats’ proposal to fund the government.
The Democratic proposal would have reopened the government, while also enacting their priorities on healthcare. The Republican bill would have also reopened the government, but did not include any of the Democrats’ demands.
White House Freezes $18bn In NYC Infrastructure Funding
Meanwhile, White House Budget Director, Russell Vought said that the Trump administration is putting on hold billions of dollars of funding for two major construction projects in New York City, on day one of the federal government shut down.
Vought wrote on X, “Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles.” He added in a second post, “Specifically, the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Ave Subway.”
The announcement would incidentally dramatically affect major projects for the home state and city of Senate Minority leader, Chuck Schumer and House Minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
Earlier today, House Speaker, Mike Johnson asserted that Democrats had handed the Trump administration “the keys to the kingdom” and said Vought would now be able to decide “what services are essential, what programs and policies should be continued, and which would not be a priority for taxpayers.”
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