US Vice President JD Vance said that the federal government was “headed to a shutdown” ahead of the shutdown deadline of Tuesday midnight, blaming congressional Democrats for placing conditions on support for a short-term budget bill.

“I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing. I hope they change their mind, but we’re going to see,” Vance told reporters after a meeting of top congressional Democrats and Republicans with President Donald Trump at the White House. Vice President Vance accused the Democrats of putting “a gun to the American people’s head” with their funding demands.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said the White House meeting with President Trump and other senior Republican leaders ended without an agreement to avoid an imminent government shutdown. “There are still large differences between us,” Schumer of New York told reporters outside the White House after the meeting ahead of the shutdown deadline Tuesday at midnight.

On his part, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that “large differences” in positions remained between the two sides to avoid a shutdown. (AFP)