JD Vance says GOP should threaten a shutdown: 'Why have a government if it’s not a functioning government?'

WASHINGTON — Sen. JD Vance suggested that it could be in Republicans' best interest to threaten a government shutdown ahead of an impending funding deadline, asking, “Why have a government if it’s not a functioning government?”

Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, made the remarks in an interview Wednesday on the Shawn Ryan Show. In the podcast interview, he said the GOP should pick the fight to seek changes, criticizing current spending on foreign wars and foreign aid and what he described as inadequate border security.

He argued that Congress has a “rubber-stamp mentality” in which programs from 20 years ago continue in perpetuity, “instead of running a functional government where you ask yourself what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense this year.”

"Why shouldn’t we be trying to force this government shutdown fight to get something out of it that’s good for the American people?" he said. "Like, why have a government if it’s not a functioning government?"

Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government or a shutdown will begin on Oct. 1.

Representatives for the Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment on Vance's remarks.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday also called on Republicans to "close it down" if the House GOP doesn't find a way to pass a government funding bill alongside an election security bill.

“If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET. ... CLOSE IT DOWN!!!” Trump said on his social media site, TruthSocial.

Following Trump's comment, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., tied a six-month spending bill, or continuing resolution, to the SAVE Act, GOP-sponsored legislation that would overhaul elections.

But, on Wednesday, Johnson abruptly canceled the vote after it appeared that the bill would fail amid opposition from a group of Republicans. Grappling with a razor-thin majority, the House speaker vowed to continue negotiating with members of his party.

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"We have two obligations right now," Johnson told reporters on Wednesday, adding, "Congress has a lot of responsibilities, but two primary obligations: responsibly fund the government and make sure that our elections are free and fair and secure. And that’s what we’re working on. And we’ll continue and we’ll keep you posted."

Democrats have said they would only support a "clean" spending bill to fund the government through March, past the presidential election and inauguration.

In the podcast, Vance said that he opposes CRs on principle, telling Ryan, "I've been in Senate all of two years [and] never voted for a continuing resolution."

"I don't like the continuing resolutions, because you do this exact thing, right? You're rubber-stamping more money for organizations like the Taliban. By the way, while we're on that topic, we're rubber-stamping more money for the open border," the Ohio Republican added.

He also said he preferred engaging in the traditional appropriations process, where "we actually go in and say, 'Why the hell are we spending money on that? Should we be spending less money on this thing?'" 

Vance has not voted in the Senate this week as Congress returned from a monthlong recess.