President Donald Trump is set to sit down with key members of Congress at the White House on Monday, just a day before a possible government shutdown, as confirmed by three sources familiar with the meeting.
According to sources cited by The Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) are set to attend the Oval Office meeting with President Trump on Monday.
Democrats Seek Bipartisan Deal
Trump canceled a meeting with Schumer and Jeffries earlier this week. On Friday, Schumer called Thune, asking him to get Trump to meet as the shutdown deadline nears, according to an aide to Schumer.
Schumer recently blamed Trump for the impending shutdown, calling it a “Trump shutdown” and accusing him of weak leadership.
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“President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office,” Schumer and Jeffries said in a joint statement. “We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis.”
Senate Vote Requirements
Government funding runs out after Sep. 30, triggering a shutdown starting Wednesday unless Congress intervenes. Prediction markets are forecasting a 75% chance of a shutdown this year. Any solution will require bipartisan backing, as it takes 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster.
Accordinng to reports, the House passed a Republican “clean” continuing resolution funding government until Nov. 21, which the Senate rejected.
Healthcare Issues Block Progress
Democrats are also pushing to address the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies at the end of the year and roll back Medicaid cuts from previous Republican legislation. Republicans, however, argue that these issues are unrelated.
Trump criticized Democratic demands as “unserious and ridiculous” on Truth Social Tuesday, accusing them of pushing for over $1 trillion in new spending and “radical left” policies.
“He didn’t have the time to meet with Democratic leaders and fund the government,” Jeffries said Friday, criticizing Trump’s golf event attendance. Jeffries held daily news conferences last week after Trump canceled their scheduled meeting.
Johnson plans to pressure Senate Democrats by canceling House voting sessions on September 29-30, forcing them to accept the House-passed stopgap measure.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
