Karoline Leavitt says White House must cut spending due to shutdown
toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP
With the federal government in the third day of a shutdown, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the Trump administration has no choice but to look at where it can make cuts to government spending.
Most of the federal government shut down Wednesday after the Senate failed to pass a short-term spending agreement. While Republicans control the Senate, they do need some Democratic support to get the 60 votes needed to approve the funding. But Democratic leadership wants any agreement to include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that millions rely on and to undo cuts made to health spending by President Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Republicans say they want to negotiate the subsidies after reaching an agreement to fund the government.
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The White House has proposed layoffs to the federal workforce in response to a prolonged shutdown, which has drawn a lawsuit from various unions representing federal workers. Typically in a temporary funding lapse like this, a broad swath of workers is furloughed, but not permanently fired.
In an interview with Morning Edition, Leavitt said President Trump i
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