WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government was thrown into a shutdown Wednesday with no easy endgame in sight, as Democrats held firm to their demands to salvage health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republican in Congress have dismissed as something to possibly discuss later.

The White House threatened mass layoffs of federal workers, rather than simply the normal furloughs, in a matter of days, seizing the chance to slash government. Blame was being cast on all sides. No new talks were scheduled after the president failed this week to secure a deal with congressional leaders.

“Let’s be honest, if this thing drags on,” warned Vice President JD Vance during a visit to the White House briefing room, “we are going to have to lay people off.”

Roughly 750,000 federal workers w

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