Trump to Host Congressional Leaders as Shutdown Threat Intensifies/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ As the federal government teeters on the brink of a shutdown, President Donald Trump is set to meet with congressional leaders Monday to seek a last-minute resolution. With Republicans and Democrats deeply divided over health care funding and spending priorities, negotiations remain stalled. The deadline to avoid a shutdown is Tuesday night, with millions of federal workers and agencies at risk.
Government Shutdown Talks Quick Looks
- Trump to meet with Schumer, Thune, Johnson, and Jeffries at 3 p.m. ET Monday
- Funding must pass by Tuesday night to avoid government shutdown
- Democrats demand extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits
- Republicans push temporary funding bill, but lack Senate support
- Trump signals he’s willing to let shutdown happen
- Last negotiation between Trump and Schumer ended in insult
- Federal agencies prepare for furloughs and service disruptions
- Pressure mounts on both parties as economic impact looms
Trump to Host Congressional Leaders as Shutdown Threat Intensifies
Deep Look
With less than 48 hours remaining before a government shutdown, Democratic and Republican leaders are preparing for a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. The session, scheduled for Monday afternoon, may be the final chance to strike a funding deal before the deadline passes Tuesday night.
Trump has shown little interest in entertaining Democrats’ demands on health care, even as he agreed to hold a sit-down meeting Monday with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. The Republican president has said repeatedly he fully expects the government to enter a shutdown this week.
The federal government faces a lapse in funding unless Congress passes a spending measure and the president signs it into law. If no deal is reached, agencies will shutter nonessential operations, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed. Economists warn the shutdown could ripple through an already fragile economy.
Despite the urgency, both parties remain entrenched in their positions. Republicans have pushed a stopgap measure to keep government funding largely at current levels for seven weeks, allowing time for a broader budget agreement. The bill passed the GOP-controlled House but faces resistance in the Senate, where Democrats hold enough seats to block it.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer insists that any deal must include an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year. These credits have subsidized health insurance for millions of low- and middle-income Americans since the pandemic and remain a core priority for Democrats.
“The meeting is a first step, but only a first step,” Schumer said on Sunday. “We need a serious negotiation.”
President Trump has thus far refused to consider the Democrats’ health care demands. At a rally Friday, he downplayed the threat of a shutdown, stating,
“If it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down.” He has also attempted to shift blame toward Democrats, insisting they are the ones obstructing a deal.
White House officials have reportedly warned that federal employees furloughed during a shutdown could face permanent job losses, in a bid to pressure Democrats into compromise.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune echoed concerns about the consequences of a shutdown, citing Schumer’s own words from earlier this year.
“He said a shutdown would be chaotic, harmful, and painful. He’s right. That’s why we shouldn’t do it,” Thune said.
Democrats, however, view Trump’s decision to meet as a sign that pressure is mounting. With Republicans in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, any fallout from a shutdown is likely to be politically costly for the GOP. Democratic leaders are betting that public opinion will turn against the party in power.
Still, Democrats may find themselves in an awkward position. In order to preserve their leverage, they will likely have to vote down the GOP’s short-term funding bill just hours before the shutdown deadline. That puts them at odds with their own long-standing stance that government shutdowns are counterproductive.
The temporary funding bill needs 60 votes in the Senate. With Republican Senator Rand Paul expected to vote no, at least eight Democrats would need to support the measure — an unlikely scenario given the party’s united front.
Schumer has previously faced internal criticism for compromising on shutdown votes. During a similar impasse in March, he and nine other Democrats supported a Republican-led bill to keep the government open, only to face backlash from party members. This time, he appears determined to stand firm.
“We’re hearing from the American people that they need help on health care,” Schumer said Sunday. “And as for these massive layoffs — they’re doing it anyway.”
Some Republicans have expressed openness to extending the tax credits but want structural changes to the program.
Thune called the health subsidies “desperately in need of reform,” and suggested that debate on that issue could follow a short-term funding agreement.
The White House meeting comes amid heightened tensions between Trump and Democratic leaders. Their most recent negotiation in August ended poorly, with Trump publicly insulting Schumer. Last week, the president canceled a previously scheduled meeting, accusing Democrats of making “unserious and ridiculous” demands.
Despite the rocky history, Democrats say the fact that the White House rescheduled the meeting indicates that the administration feels mounting political pressure.
While Trump has maintained a defiant tone, many within his own party are anxious about the consequences of a shutdown. With federal employees, contractors, and public services set to be affected, the political fallout could stretch into the 2026 election season.
What remains uncertain is whether Monday’s meeting will yield progress or deepen the stalemate. Negotiations between Trump and congressional Democrats have often ended in confrontation rather than consensus.
For now, government agencies are preparing for the worst. As the Tuesday night deadline approaches, Americans across the country are left watching and waiting, hoping their leaders can strike a deal before the lights go out in Washington.
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