The chances of a government shutdown rose after both parties’ congressional leaders, meeting with President Donald Trump, didn’t agree on a stopgap funding.
Sept. 29 The chances of a government shutdown increased on Monday after congressional leaders from both parties, during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, weren’t able to agree on a stopgap funding bill less than 48 hours before the deadline.
Without the funding bill signed by Trump, the government will run out of money, starting after midnight Wednesday.
Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both serving New York, have said they won’t support any stopgap bill unless it protects healthcare programs. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dajota, both Republicans, don’t want to restore recent Medicaid cuts, and it omits an extension of the currently enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits scheduled to expire.
The congressional leaders spoke separately with reporters outside the White House. Trump didn’t comment, including on Truth Social.
Schumer told reporters outside the White House’s West Wing that «there are still large differences between us.»
He added: «Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input.»
On Sept. 19, the House passed a seven-week stopgap funding bill that Senate Democrats rejected earlier this month.
«That is never how we’ve done this before», Schumer said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of «hostage taking» in their demands
«Republicans are united», Thune said. House Republicans, Senate Republicans, President Trump. The House has passed a clean funding resolution to fund the government until November the 21st. It’s clean, it’s bipartisan, and it is short-term, but it gives us enough time to finish the appropriations process, which is the way we should be funding the government.»
He held up a copy of the bill, saying: «This is sitting right now at the Senate desk.
