President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he plans to meet with key Democratic leaders in Congress as the deadline for government funding approaches. However, he’s expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of such meetings.
As lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., after the Labor Day break, the September 30 deadline to avoid a government shutdown is looming just weeks away.
There’s evident tension between Republicans and Democrats about how the upcoming financial battle will unfold.
At a press conference, Trump mentioned that he intends to sit down with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Still, he remarked, “Meetings are almost a waste of time because they don’t approve anything.” He added, “I don’t think anyone can do business with these people.” It’s a pretty stark take on the situation.
Fox News Digital reached out for comments from Schumer and Jeffries but didn’t get an immediate response.
Lawmakers need to pass numerous spending bills to fund the government, but, notably, the conventional legislative process hasn’t been followed in years.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pressing for the passage of a spending bill, and the Senate had previously approved some funding measures before departing. Consequently, Congress is expected to depend on a temporary funding extension known as a Continuing Resolution (CR).
Yet, it’s important to note that passing the CR requires a 60-vote threshold in the Senate, thus necessitating negotiations with Senate Democrats.
Congressional Democrats still seem a bit unsettled after Republicans rejected Trump’s proposed $9 billion clawback package. They cautioned that attempting to secure congressional-approved funding on a strictly partisan basis might hinder negotiations over government funding.
In the past, Schumer indicated a preference for a bipartisan approach but, interestingly, had a moment earlier this year where he entertained the idea of government closure. He eventually aligned with Republicans to maintain funding, which, in turn, sparked some unrest within his own party regarding his leadership skills.
