Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday accused Democrat leaders of forcing a government shutdown by demanding taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants as part of budget negotiations.
“It’s a lie told by the Democrats that they are not trying to get healthcare benefits to illegal aliens,” Vance said at the White House daily press briefing.
“It’s a lie that is obviously untrue if you just look at the text they gave us. All you have to do is understand that this is about who benefits. We think the American people’s benefit ought to benefit American citizens.
“The Democrats are willing to shut it down to benefit illegal aliens. The contrast couldn’t be more clear.”
Vance said Republicans had worked with President Donald Trump to lower prescription drug costs but claimed Democrats “did nothing to help” and instead “shut down the government because we won’t give billions of dollars to healthcare funding for illegal aliens.”
He singled out Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., arguing Democrat divisions and political maneuvering were driving the stalemate.
“The reason your government is shut down at this very minute, is because the Schumer/AOC wing of the Democratic Party shut down the government,” Vance began, taking the podium from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a rare press briefing appearance by the vice president.
Vance warned the shutdown is already impacting military pay, food assistance programs, and flood insurance coverage as hurricane season begins. He urged Democrats to reopen the government first before negotiating broader health care reforms.
“The American people demand we fix healthcare for Americans,” Vance said. “What you don’t do is say, ‘Unless you do exactly what we want, we are taking the government hostage.'”
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