Trump and congressional leaders to meet before government shutdown
The article reports that President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with key Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, ahead of a potential government shutdown on October 1. The meeting aims to resolve differences over short-term government funding, with Republicans pushing for a “clean” continuing resolution to extend funding until November 21, while Democrats seek concessions related to healthcare reforms, specifically Medicaid.
Negotiations have stalled,and previous talks were disrupted when Trump canceled a meeting with Democrats,citing their demands as “unserious and ridiculous,” which led to criticism from Democratic leaders. Both parties are now blaming each other for the risk of a shutdown. Republicans accuse Democrats of wanting to use shutdown leverage to maintain healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants, while Democrats emphasize their willingness to negotiate to avoid a shutdown.
If a continuing resolution is not passed by September 30, a government shutdown could occur, leading to unpaid federal workers and closed federal buildings until a deal is reached. Historically, the party in power-in this case, the Republicans-faces voter backlash for a shutdown. The article also notes that the longest government shutdown in U.S. history occurred during Trump’s frist term,lasting 35 days over border wall funding disputes.The proposed funding deal would provide a seven-week extension and allow lawmakers to negotiate appropriations for fiscal year 2026.
Trump meeting with House and Senate leaders ahead of government shutdown
President Donald Trump will meet with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders on Monday, the Washington Examiner confirmed, ahead of a looming government shutdown on Oct. 1.
Trump will meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), per a White House official. Negotiations between the parties have been at a standstill as Republicans argue they have done their job and rallied behind a “clean” short-term spending deal, which punts the funding deadline to Nov. 21.
But Democrats are demanding concessions from the GOP to help alleviate what they call a healthcare “crisis” stemming from reforms to Medicaid made in the “big, beautiful bill” signed into law in July.
Jeffries and Schumer confirmed the meeting in a statement Saturday night.
“President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office. As we have repeatedly said, Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time, and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people. We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis. Time is running out.”
Trump was scheduled to meet with Jeffries and Schumer on Thursday, but he canceled the meeting after reviewing the “unserious and ridiculous” demands from congressional Democrats. The president determined that no meeting could “possibly be productive,” drawing severe rebuke from Jeffries and Schumer, who ridiculed him for “chicken[ing] out” and “running away” from the negotiating table.
Both parties are already pointing fingers at each other for who will be to blame if Congress cannot pass a continuing resolution by Sept. 30. If there is a shutdown, federal workers will not be paid, and federal buildings will close as Congress works to pass a deal to reopen the shuttered government. During a shutdown, other bills can be brought up for a vote, but all energy would likely be focused on bringing a CR to the floor.
Republicans have begun their blame game against Democrats and are accusing them of wanting to shut down the government to provide healthcare for illegal immigrants. This was a Democratic messaging point during the One Big Beautiful Bill negotiations, where the GOP reforms to Medicaid installed work requirements to remove illegal immigrants from the payroll.
But historically, voters have blamed the party in power for a government shutdown. With a GOP trifecta, Republicans are put in the crosshairs, particularly ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, where their voting record and agenda successes will be tested.
Democrats have made no moves to concede, with Jeffries traveling back to Washington, D.C., to give press conferences three days in a row last week to nail down messaging that the party will work with “anyone, anytime, any place” to prevent a shutdown.
Jeffries has leaned heavily on Johnson’s decision to send the House home and cancel votes on Sept. 29 and 30, effectively putting the ball in the Senate’s court to pass the current CR or make changes quickly enough to bring House lawmakers back to the district for a vote.
DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP DIG IN ON SHUTDOWN DEMANDS
The most recent and longest government shutdown in U.S. history occurred during Trump’s first term. It lasted 35 days and went from the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2019, during which time the president failed to get any additional money to construct more of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The spending deal, a seven-week CR until Nov. 21, would allow appropriators to go to conference on a three-bill minibus and attempt to pass the remaining nine appropriations bills for fiscal 2026.
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