Trump to Hold Crucial Talks with Republican and Democratic Leaders as US Government Shutdown Threatens

The US government risks a partial shutdown starting Wednesday unless bipartisan agreement is reached on a funding bill.

President Donald Trump is preparing to convene with leading members of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress as the deadline to fund the federal government rapidly approaches.

The meeting, set for Monday, aims to prevent a partial government shutdown scheduled to begin at midnight on Wednesday if no consensus on a spending bill is reached.

Earlier this month, Senate Democrats rejected a temporary funding proposal crafted by Republicans that would have extended government operations until November 21.

Democrats insist that any continuing resolution must include measures to broaden healthcare access, specifically by restoring Medicaid funding cuts introduced under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Conversely, Republicans maintain that healthcare reforms should be negotiated separately within a broader budget agreement.

Although Republicans hold a slim majority with 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, passing spending legislation requires a supermajority of 60 votes.

On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (Republican) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) exchanged criticisms over the deadlock during interviews.

Thune told NBC News’s Meet the Press, “The responsibility lies with them. There is a bill ready on the Senate floor that we could approve today.”

Schumer, appearing on the same program, described the upcoming meeting with Trump and Republican leaders as “just the initial step” toward resolving the funding impasse.

“We require genuine negotiations,” Schumer emphasized.

“If the president uses this meeting to vent frustrations and attack Democrats without constructive dialogue, progress won’t be made. However, I remain hopeful it will be a productive discussion.”

This scheduled discussion follows Trump’s cancellation last week of a planned meeting with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, citing what he called “unreasonable and absurd demands” from Democrats.

Should Congress fail to pass a funding bill by the deadline, non-essential federal employees will be furloughed without pay during the shutdown, although they are expected to receive back pay once funding is restored.

Since 1980, the Bipartisan Policy Center reports there have been 14 government shutdowns, most lasting only a few days. The longest shutdown occurred between late 2018 and early 2019, spanning 34 days.