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As a potential government shutdown looms, Vice President J.D. Vance and House Majority Leader Mike Johnson held a joint news conference on Monday to call out Democrats’ demands during last-ditch negotiations. The GOP leaders accused Democrats of “taking hostages” and using shutdown threats as a political weapon.
Vance: Democrats Are Threatening the American People
Vance criticized the Democrats for leveraging government funding as a bargaining tool, saying:
“Don’t threaten the American people with a gun and say, ‘We’re going to shut down your government unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do.’”
He called their proposed $1.5 trillion spending package “crazy”, arguing it included hundreds of billions for illegal immigrants’ health care while ordinary Americans struggle with rising costs.
“We thought it was crazy. We told them it was crazy. And now they come in here and say that if you don’t give us everything we want, we’re going to shut down the government. We think it’s completely wrong.”
Johnson: Democrats’ Counterproposal “Wasteful”
House Majority Leader Johnson also weighed in, targeting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for what he called extraneous spending requests:
“They made a counterproposal: $1.5 trillion in new spending that has nothing to do with the current appropriations process.”
He criticized the Democrats for wanting to restore taxpayer-funded benefits for people in the U.S. illegally and for adding $500 million to left-leaning media outlets in a seven-week stopgap measure.
Johnson added:
“We won’t do that. They know we can’t do that, and we never have. There were 13 threats of shutdowns during the Biden administration. Republicans kept the government running. All we’re asking Democrats to do is the same thing.”
GOP Strategy: Stand Firm Against Shutdown Threats
Both leaders emphasized the importance of resisting media pressure and public blame, noting that historically, the minority party is held responsible if a shutdown occurs. Vance warned:
“If Democrats get to change the rules, they will effectively run the government from the minority by threatening to shut it down over and over until they get every policy they want. That’s a blatant power grab and an insult to the people who voted for Republicans.”
They stressed that Republicans must stay strong, protect their majority mandate, and avoid letting shutdown brinkmanship become the new normal, even if polls or mainstream media try to shift blame.
Final Take
The standoff highlights ongoing tension in Congress as both parties prepare for high-stakes negotiations. While Democrats push for ambitious spending packages, Republicans are vowing to resist excessive demands, framing the issue as a fight for both fiscal responsibility and respect for the majority’s mandate.
