President Trump is set to meet with the top four leaders of Congress on Monday, just one day before a critical deadline. This marks a change from earlier in the week when he canceled a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Three sources familiar with the matter have indicated that Schumer, Jeffries, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senator John Thune will gather with Trump at the White House. This meeting was first reported by Punch Bowl News.
In a joint statement, Schumer and Jeffries remarked, “President Trump has again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office. As we’ve consistently stated, Democrats are willing to meet anytime, anywhere, to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that caters to the needs of the American people. They are focused on avoiding government shutdowns and addressing the Republican healthcare crisis.”
Government funding is set to run out after September 30, potentially leading to shutdowns if Congress doesn’t act. Any legislation will need bipartisan support, requiring 60 votes to clear the Senate filibuster, which translates to at least seven votes from Senate Democrats.
Earlier this month, the House passed a straightforward continuing resolution proposed by Republicans to fund the government through November 21.
Democrats in Congress are pressing Republicans to tackle issues like the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year, or reconsider Medicaid cuts that were implemented earlier this year.
Republicans, on the other hand, assert that these issues aren’t related and shouldn’t be discussed together, which some critics find unreasonable.
Last week, Trump was supposed to meet with two Democratic leaders to discuss the impending shutdown, but that meeting was canceled. According to a leadership source, this was after Johnson and Thune briefed him on the GOP’s continuing resolution and the Democrats’ demands.
Jeffries publicly criticized Trump last week for his absence, highlighting that while he skipped a meeting with Democratic leaders, he was attending a golf event, the Ryder Cup, in Long Island. “He didn’t have time to meet with us, to fund the government, and to address the Republican healthcare crisis, but instead, he’s out playing golf?” Jeffries commented.
Johnson had previously canceled scheduled House voting days on September 29 and 30 in an effort to advance a stopgap proposal.
Updated at 8:30 PM
