Vance Accuses Democrats of “Sleight of Hand” in Shutdown Standoff

Vice President J.D. Vance intensified his criticism of Democrats on Tuesday, accusing them of using “sleight of hand” tactics in the ongoing government shutdown negotiations. In a video shared on X, Vance claimed Democrats are tying government funding to the restoration of taxpayer-funded health care benefits for undocumented immigrants.

“There are two very specific ways — and you can look at the legislative text — in which Democrats are asking us to give taxpayer-funded health care benefits for illegal aliens,” Vance said. He cited two key provisions: hospital reimbursement programs that previously covered emergency treatments and parole programs that reclassified migrants to make them eligible for coverage.

“We turned that off,” he added. “Democrats want to turn it back on.”

Framing the standoff as political hostage-taking, Vance accused Democrats of conditioning military pay and other funding on restoring these programs. “It’s not just bad policy,” he said. “We are not going to negotiate while being held hostage.”

He urged Democrats to pass the Republican-backed continuing resolution to reopen the government, promising that debates over immigration and health care could follow later. During a CNN interview, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denied GOP claims, but when pressed by Jake Tapper, did not directly address the inclusion of Medicaid reimbursement language in the bill.

Republicans argue that the text confirms their position, while critics note Democrats are tying the shutdown to provisions not set to expire until next year. Vance questioned why these issues have become a sticking point now.

As the standoff continues, thousands of federal employees face unpaid work, while hospitals and immigrant communities brace for uncertainty. The impasse underscores how political battles over immigration and health care can paralyze governance — leaving ordinary Americans to bear the cost.