Vance Insists Democrats Will Get Nothing Out of Shutdown Strategy as Food Stamps Cliff Nears

Vice President Vance is again demanding that Democrats approve a clean funding measure to fully re-open the government, insisting the Trump administration will make no concessions until they do.The warning comes with growing urgency as the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program, more commonly known as food stamps, is set to run out of money this weekend. Mr. Vance convened a meeting of airline executives and labor leaders on Thursday at the White House, where he maintained that there will be no deal on Senate Democrats’ key demand for an extension of health insurance premium subsidies.The administration’s position is simply that five additional Democrats need to get on board to push a clean funding extension over the 60-vote threshold. “I’ve never said we’re not gonna talk to congressional Democrats until they reopen the government. What I’ve said is we are not going to give in on policy demands under the threat of hostage-taking,” Mr. Vance told reporters in the West Wing driveway.“If any moderate Democrat — or any Democrat, period — from the United States Senate wants to come over, they’re welcome to walk into these doors.”“What we’re also saying is that we’re not going to allow anybody — Democrat or Republican — to effectively threaten any policy demand and to place that upon reopening the government. You don’t reward hostage-taking,” the vice president insisted. The urgency to get the lights back on has ticked up in recent days, with airports facing major delays and ground stops, and the Department of Agriculture announcing that it will run out of money for SNAP this weekend. Mr. Vance was joined at the White House by the chief executives of several major airlines who demanded that Democrats reopen the government by allowing passage of the Republicans’ clean funding measure, which would keep the government open through November 21. The chief executive of United, Scott Kirby, said air traffic controllers and the economy as a whole are facing real “stress” as a result of the shutdown.“I don’t have a position which partisan side and how things should be settled with health care. It has been 30 days. I also think it is time to pass a clean [bill],” Mr. Kirby told reporters.“Let’s get a clean [bill] and get that negotiation done behind closed doors without putting the American workers and the American economy at risk.”Democrats have insisted that there needs to be some kind of executive action to keep at least SNAP funded past the Saturday deadline, though Mr. Vance says there is no way to tap into resources while the shutdown is ongoing.Democrats are specifically asking the secretary of agriculture, Brooke Rollins, to release more than $5 billion in funds for SNAP, which could help states pay out benefits for at least a few more weeks. “We’re like guys running around with a leak in a dam wall trying to plug it with bubble gum,” Mr. Vance said when asked about the administration’s decision to move money around for other purposes, including paying members of the military.“Why don’t the Democrats just stop this entire charade and re-open the government so that we don’t have to try to make this thing work on a shoestring budget, which is what we’re trying to do.”The vice president says that Americans are about to find out “the hard way” exactly how bad this shutdown is once food stamps money dries up this weekend. “The American people are already suffering, and the suffering is gonna get a lot worse,” he said.

Vance Insists Democrats Will Get Nothing Out of Shutdown Strategy as Food Stamps Cliff Nears

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