Vance Blames Democrats for CDC Staffing Cuts Amid Shutdown

Vice President Vance has pointed the finger at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other “far-left” Senate Democrats for the reversal of staffing cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the government shutdown approaches its second week.

Initially, the Trump administration laid off over 1,000 CDC employees last Friday, but there seems to be a shift in that plan.

“Government shutdowns inevitably lead to some level of disruption,” Vance remarked in an interview with CBS News on Sunday. “We’re trying to figure out how to reallocate funds. The chaos we’re seeing? Well, it’s because Schumer and those far-left Democrats chose to shut down the government.”

The government shutdown began on October 1 due to a failure to reach a funding agreement in the Senate.

A proposal backed by Republicans aimed to fund the government until November 21, but it was rejected by all but three Senators from the Democratic Caucus: John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Angus King of Maine, who is an independent but aligns with Democrats. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky also voted against this proposal.

On the other hand, every Senate Republican opposed a Democratic-sponsored spending bill that would fund the government through October, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, and restore nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.

The layoffs at the CDC affected employees working on the response to the ongoing measles outbreak, which has seen 44 cases in the U.S. this year, according to the latest CDC data.

However, on Saturday, some layoff notices were rescinded, particularly for those involved in responding to measles and the Ebola outbreak, as reported by the Washington Post.

During this shutdown, more than 4,100 federal employees have been laid off, according to an intelligence agency. Yet, Vance continues to hold Democrats accountable for the situation at the CDC.

“If Chuck Schumer and those far-left Senate Democrats try to shut down the government, it’s bound to create some chaos,” he added.