Trump Administration Intensifies Pressure on Democrats Amid Shutdown
The Trump administration is increasing its efforts against Democrats who are resisting the reopening of the government, now two weeks into a shutdown.
On Friday, Office of Management and Budget Secretary Russ Vought announced that he is suspending over $11 billion in funding for various projects in several Democratic-run cities. This pause affects “low-priority” projects managed by the Army Corps of Engineers in New York City, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore.
“I really hate to say it, but the only things we’re cutting are Democratic programs,” Vought stated.
This funding halt comes weeks after Democrats instigated the shutdown, following multiple rejections of votes in the Senate. Vought emphasized that “the Democratic administration’s shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ capacity to handle multibillion-dollar initiatives.”
The actions mark a continuation of measures from the Trump administration since the shutdown began on October 1. Before it took effect, Vought had warned agencies to prepare layoff notifications, which ultimately resulted in more than 4,200 job cuts across various key departments.
Since then, a California judge appointed by Trump has intervened to halt those layoffs.
Vought had also previously suspended funding for similar infrastructure and environmental projects in other Democratic cities, like Chicago and New York City.
In the meantime, the administration is looking to alleviate the impact of the military shutdown. Through the Department of the Army, efforts are underway to ensure that service members receive their paychecks on October 15.
President Trump had previously cautioned Democrats that his administration would pursue such actions if they did not join Republicans in efforts to reopen the government. To secure a funding resolution, all 53 Republicans would need to vote in favor, but at least seven Democrats must also come on board.
“I hate to say it but we’re cutting Democratic programs,” Trump reiterated at a recent Cabinet meeting. “Chuck Schumer said today that every day things are improving for them. No, in fact, their situation is deteriorating every day, and they’re stirring unrest within their own party because they want to put a stop to this.”
