A high-stakes meeting on Monday between Donald Trump and leading congressional Democrats ended without a clear breakthrough in efforts to prevent a government shutdown, with Senator JD Vance warning, “I think we are headed into a shutdown.”
Though Democrats, who are demanding healthcare provisions be included before supporting continued government funding past Tuesday, expressed cautious optimism after the Oval Office meeting attended by Republican leaders from both the Senate and House Republicans showed little willingness to change their position. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he conveyed his healthcare concerns to Trump, who “seemed to, for the first time, understand the magnitude of this crisis.” Schumer urged bipartisan input on healthcare reforms, emphasizing that Republican proposals lacked Democratic consultation.
However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized Democrats, calling their stance “purely and simply hostage-taking.” He insisted Republicans were ready to pass the funding bill immediately to avoid a shutdown. Vance blamed Democrats for any shutdown, saying, “I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing.”
Government Shutdown Looms as Trump
Trump has not publicly commented on the private meeting. In a CBS News interview earlier, he expressed uncertainty about resolving the issue and accused Democrats of lacking interest in addressing waste, fraud, and abuse.
Democrats are pushing to include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, prevent Medicaid and public media cuts, and appear focused on regaining voter support ahead of next year’s midterms. Schumer indicated possible compromise but stressed large differences remain.
Government Shutdown: If no agreement is reached, a government shutdown will begin Wednesday at midnight, leading to furloughs and agency closures. The White House Office of Management and Budget recently indicated it would use the shutdown period to implement mass firings aimed at reducing bureaucratic size.
Polling shows 45% of voters would blame Republicans for a shutdown, while 32% would blame Democrats. Past divisions within the Democratic Party over funding votes continue to affect trust in leadership.
Despite rumors of Democrats considering a short-term funding extension, Schumer reaffirmed Monday evening that his demands would not soften, calling on the president to direct Republicans to act.
