Negotiations between Republicans and Democrats collapsed on Monday during a final attempt to prevent a government shutdown. Vice President J.D. Vance and House Majority Leader Mike Johnson held a joint press conference where they criticized the Democrats, accusing them of hypocrisy and “taking hostages” during the budget discussions. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders continued to assert that if the government were to shut down, the blame would fall entirely on the Republicans. Vance opened by warning that a shutdown seemed inevitable, blaming the demands made by Democrats, who are currently in the minority. He expressed frustration at what he called unreasonable requests from Democrats that risk halting government operations. He stated, “We don’t always agree with each other, but that doesn’t justify stopping the government from functioning. Threatening the American people by saying, ‘We will shut down the government…
