JD Vance warns of painful federal cuts as US govt shutdown enters Day 12

Noting the uncertainty faced by hundreds of thousands who are already furloughed without pay amid the stubborn stalemate in Congress, Vance warned that as the federal shutdown entered its 12th day, the new cuts would be “painful”, as he spoke to Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”

“To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful. This is not a situation that we relish. This is not something that we’re looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards,” Vance said.

While Trump administration worked to ensure that the military is paid this week and some services would be preserved for low-income Americans, including food assistance, the office of management and budget said well over 4,000 federal employees across departments of Education, Treasury, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, would soon be fired in conjunction with the shutdown, reported news agency AP.

“You hear a lot of Senate Democrats say, well, how can Donald Trump possibly lay off all of these federal workers?” Vance said arguing that Democrats have given the government a choice between giving low-income women their food benefits and paying the troops on the one hand, and, on the other hand, paying federal bureaucrats.

Democrats say the firings are illegal and unnecessary.

“They do not have to do this. They do not have to punish people that shouldn’t find themselves in this position,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

What has happened?

US government went on a shutdown on October 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding fix and demanded that the bill include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The expiration of those subsidies at the end of the year will result in monthly cost increases for millions.

Trump and Republican leaders have said they are open to negotiations on the health subsidies, but insist the government must reopen first.

For now, negotiations are virtually nonexistent, as house leaders from both parties pointed fingers at each other in rival Sunday appearances on “Fox News Sunday.”

Government shutdown

While effects of the shutdown grew Sunday with the Smithsonian announcing its museums, research centers and the National Zoo are temporarily closed going forward for lack of funding, lawsuits have been filed against this move.

Labour unions have filed a lawsuit to stop this aggressive act by President Donald Trump ’s budget office, which appears to go beyond what usually happen in government shutdowns. This has further inflamed tensions between the Republicans who control Congress and the Democratic minority.

“We have repeatedly made clear that we will sit down with anyone, anytime, anyplace,” AP reported quoting House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York as saying. “Republicans control the House, the Senate and the presidency. It’s unfortunate they’ve taken a my-way-or-the-highway approach,” he added.

House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed Democrats and said they “seem not to care” about the pain the shutdown is inflicting.

“They’re trying their best to distract the American people from the simple fact that they’ve chosen a partisan fight so that they can prove to their Marxist rising base in the Democratic Party that they’re willing to fight Trump and Republicans,” he said.

(With inputs from AP)