Vance shifts blame to Democrats for gov't shutdown as layoffs loom
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US Vice President JD Vance is accusing the Democrats of causing the government shutdown amid White House warnings of impending worker layoffs.
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Vice President JD Vance speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington (AP)
US Vice President JD Vance falsely accused Democrats of causing the government shutdown amid White House warnings of impending worker layoffs, The Guardian reported.
In a rare appearance at the White House briefing room, JD Vance informed reporters that layoffs were unavoidable if the shutdown persisted, stating, “We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues. We don’t like that. We don’t necessarily want to do it, but we’re going to do what we have to do to keep the American people’s essential services continuing to run.”
“We haven’t made any final decisions about what we’re going to do with certain workers,” Vance said. “What we’re saying is that we might have to take extraordinary steps, especially the longer this goes on.” He denied that workers will be targeted based on their political leanings and affiliations, acknowledging that there is uncertainty regarding who might be dismissed or furloughed.
Vance singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) to criticize Democrats for their demands.
“The Chuck Schumer-AOC wing of the Democratic party shut down the government because they said to us, we will open the government only if you give billions of dollars of funding to healthcare for illegal aliens. That’s a ridiculous proposition," Vance said, making a false claim. US law forbids undocumented migrants from benefiting from the healthcare program the Democrats are demanding.
An estimated 750,000 federal employees are expected to be furloughed, a form of enforced leave during which their pay is withheld until they can return to work, while essential personnel such as military and border agents may be forced to continue working without pay.
Leavitt says government agencies preparing for cuts, blames Dems
During the same briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that government agencies have already begun preparations for budget reductions.
“Unfortunately, because the Democrats shut down the government, the president has directed his cabinet, and the Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies across the board, to identify where cuts can be made – and we believe that layoffs are imminent,” Leavitt stated.
The press secretary acknowledged a lack of precise information, being unable to identify the timing or the specific percentage of workers at risk.
