JD Vance: US government likely ‘headed into a shutdown’

Republican and Democratic congressional leaders left a meeting with President Donald Trump with no deal to avert a government shutdown as the deadline fast approaches. 

Leaders met with Trump on Monday for roughly an hour to negotiate a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown, but it appeared neither side was willing to budge from their position. 

Vice President JD Vance said after the meeting, “I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing. I hope they change their mind.”

“If you look at the original they did with this negotiation, it was a $1.5 trillion spending package, basically saying the American people want to give massive amounts of money, hundreds of billions of dollars to illegal aliens for their health care, while Americans are struggling to pay their health care bills,” Vance said. “That was their initial foray into this negotiation. We thought it was absurd.”

DEMS NOT BUDGING ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEMANDS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES TRUMP MEETING, JEFFRIES SUGGESTS

Democrats, however, have pushed back on assertions that they’re looking to salvage healthcare for anyone but the American people.

“There was a frank and direct discussion with the President of the United States and Republican leaders. But significant and meaningful differences remain,” Jeffries said. “Democrats are fighting to protect the health care of the American people, and we are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of every day America, period.”

Congress has until midnight Oct. 1 to pass a short-term funding extension, or continuing resolution (CR), to avert a partial government shutdown. The House already passed a funding extension, but the bill was blocked in the Senate earlier this month. 

Republicans and the White House want to move forward with their “clean,” short-term funding extension until Nov. 21, while Democrats have offered a counter-proposal that includes a permanent extension of expiring Obamacare tax credits and other wishlist items that are a bridge too far for the GOP. 

Vance appeared alongside Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority…