By Bo Erickson and Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Vice President JD Vance criticized Affordable Care Act tax credits on Sunday, labeling them vehicles for fraud and calling for regulatory reform, even as Democratic lawmakers seek to extend healthcare subsidies in the standoff over the government shutdown.

“The tax credits go to some people deservedly, and we think the tax credits actually go to a lot of waste and fraud within the insurance industry. So we want to make sure that the tax credits go to the people who need them,” Vance told CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

Vance’s view contrasts with the stance of Senate Democrats who have used their legislative leverage for the past two weeks to withhold votes for a stopgap funding bill to reopen government.

Most Democrats in the upper cham

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