Trump to Meet with Congressional Leaders Ahead of Shutdown
President Donald Trump is set to meet with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday, as concerns grow over an impending government shutdown.
This announcement follows Trump’s earlier decision to cancel a meeting with Schumer and Jeffries, expressing doubts about the productivity of such discussions with Congressional leaders.
Following the cancellation, Schumer reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, urging him to encourage Trump to reconsider the meeting, especially with the shutdown looming, according to aides familiar with the situation.
The deadline for Congress to prevent a shutdown is next Wednesday, necessitating a continuing resolution. To pass that, at least seven Senate Democrats would need to support it to achieve the 60 votes required to bypass a potential filibuster.
“President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office,” said Schumer and Jeffries in a joint statement. “As we have repeatedly stated, Democrats are open to meeting anywhere and anytime to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that serves the American public. We are committed to avoiding a shutdown and tackling the Republican healthcare crisis. Time is running out.”
Last week, a temporary funding bill championed by the GOP was introduced to keep the government running until November 21st. Although it passed in the House, it ultimately failed in the Senate, garnering only 44 votes.
“We’ll keep talking to the Democrats, but it’s quite possible we could end up with a closed government for a while,” Trump remarked at the time. “We’ll ensure military and Social Security funds continue, taking care of priorities.”
The Democrats opposed the bill, insisting on enhancements to tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, which are about to expire, the restoration of funding for public broadcasters recently cut by the Trump administration, and the reversal of Medicaid cuts made in Trump’s proposed budget—demands that Republicans found unacceptable.
If a government shutdown occurs, it would impact non-essential government services and possibly delay payments for many federal employees.
Moreover, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent out a memo to federal agencies on Wednesday, alerting them to the possibility of a shutdown and advising them to prepare layoff plans.
“Programs without mandatory appropriations will suffer the most during a shutdown, and we must keep planning as we await the Democrats’ decisions on this matter,” the OMB memo stated.
