Trump to join for last-minute talks with Schumer, Jeffries as shutdown threat looms
As the October 1 deadline nears, Trump and congressional leaders prepare for high-stakes talks to avert a shutdown. Democrats remain committed to negotiations, warning of a healthcare crisis, while White House signals Medicaid cuts must be dropped before any deal.
With less than 24 hours before federal funding runs out, President Donald Trump will meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Monday (September 29) in a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown.
The discussions will mark the first formal meeting between Trump and congressional leaders ahead of the October 1 deadline. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries had been scheduled to meet Trump last week, but the meeting was cancelled at the last minute.
This time, Schumer and Jeffries will join Senate Republican leaders, including Majority Leader John Thune, in face-to-face talks with the president.
Dispute over healthcare provisions
At the center of the standoff is a short-term spending bill that would keep the government open only until mid-November. Democrats insist the measure must include an extension of health-care subsidies and restore cuts to Medicaid enacted under Trump’s earlier legislation.
Threats of federal worker firings
Trump Administration has also threatened mass firings of federal employees if the government shuts down. Schumer dismissed the warning, calling it political theater. “A portion of the mass layoffs earlier this year were restored by the courts, or the administration itself backed off,” he said.
Democrats vow to negotiate
Democratic leaders said they remain committed to preventing a shutdown, but accused Republicans of creating a “healthcare crisis.” In a joint statement, Schumer and Jeffries said: “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.”
Republicans argue those provisions should be negotiated separately. “We don’t want to shut down the government, but if Democrats refuse to just pass this clean continuing resolution, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, and I think the Democrats are going to bear the responsibility for it,” Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News on Sunday.
White House signals hard line
The White House has insisted Democrats must drop their healthcare demands before Trump will agree to any spending deal. Officials have already signaled that a shutdown is “likely” without concessions.
The House has passed a short-term funding bill, but Senate Republicans will need at least seven Democratic votes to send the measure to Trump’s desk before the deadline.