As the US wakes up, the morning shows are taking a keen interest in the government shutdown.
Speaking to Fox News a few moments ago, US Vice-President JD Vance says “the longer this drags on, the worse it is for the American people”.
Vance says of the shutdown: “It’s craziness and people are going to suffer from it.”
He lists some potential affects, including: “If you’re flying today… you may not arrive on time. Our military is not getting paid today.”
He says he was “gratified” that some Democrats voted for the Republican bill last night. But Vance adds that they need to “work together” on ensuring Americans have low cost healthcare.
“You don’t shut the government down, you don’t take the government as a hostage, because you want to engage in an negotiation about healthcare costs.”
This US federal shutdown was triggered because Congress failed to pass a last-minute funding bill, called a continuing resolution (CR).
A continuing resolution is needed when Congress is unable to complete their spending bills – which provide funding for around 25% of all government operations – on time.
It is a temporary “stop gap” which allows Congress to fund the federal government for a short time. They cover a period during which Congress and the US president reach an agreement on how to allocate federal funds.
The vote for a continuing resolution took place in the Senate, but only managed to reach 53 of the 60 votes needed to pass it.
This shutdown now won’t be resolved until Congress passes a funding bill.
