
Washington, DC [US], October 2 (ANI): US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday accused Democrats of failing to act on lowering healthcare costs and blamed them for the current shutdown of the federal government.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Vance said President Donald Trump had taken “historic” measures to reduce prescription drug prices, but Democrats had not supported the effort. “Democrats say that they care a lot about lowering healthcare costs. And yet, when the president took historic action to work with the drug companies to lower prescription drug prices, the Democrats did nothing to help us… What they have done instead is to shut down the government because we won’t give billions of dollars to healthcare funding for illegal aliens,” he stated.
Vance placed particular blame on the so‑called Chuck Schumer–AOC wing of the Democratic Party, arguing that despite “the overwhelming majority” of congressional Republicans and some moderate Democrats supporting reopening the government, this faction blocked the funding measure. “To the American people who are watching, the reason your government is shut down at this very minute is because despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of congressional Republicans and even a few moderate Democrats supported opening the government, the Chuck Schumer–AOC wing of the Democratic Party shut down the government because they said to us, we will open the government but only if you give billions of dollars of funding for health…” he said.
The shutdown began Tuesday after Congress failed to pass a funding measure, leaving federal agencies without appropriations, CNN reported. Both parties have since blamed each other for the impasse.
Republicans maintain Democrats should agree to extend current funding for another seven weeks, while Democrats demand concessions in return for their support. Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer responded with a joint statement placing responsibility on President Trump and Republicans: “After months of making life harder and more expensive, Donald Trump and Republicans have now shut down the federal government because they do not want to protect the healthcare of the American people.”
The deadlock has left the federal government in limbo, raising uncertainty about services and funding for millions of Americans. (ANI)