President Donald Trump will meet with the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday, just one day before the federal government faces a potential shutdown.
The Oval Office meeting will include House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to a White House official and sources familiar with the planning.
Why It Matters
The meeting represents a significant shift in strategy, as Trump had previously been reluctant to engage with Democratic leadership during the current funding standoff. The decision comes as Congress faces a Tuesday deadline to pass a spending measure or trigger a government shutdown.
This high-stakes meeting could determine whether the federal government continues operating beyond Tuesday.
A shutdown would disrupt federal services, potentially affecting everything from national parks to federal employee paychecks. The timing is particularly critical as both parties have been locked in a political standoff for days, with neither side showing willingness to compromise on key provisions.
What To Know
Democrats have refused to support a Republican-proposed seven-week funding extension without additional healthcare provisions. They are demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that help low- and middle-income Americans purchase insurance, as well as reversing Medicaid cuts included in earlier GOP tax legislation.
Republicans have labeled these demands as “nonstarters” and prefer to address healthcare issues separately from government funding. The GOP position calls for a straightforward extension of current funding levels without additional policy riders.
Earlier this week, both Johnson and Thune had advised Trump against meeting with Democratic leaders, suggesting such discussions would be unproductive until Democrats agreed to pass basic funding measures. Johnson specifically told Trump that Democrats should complete “the basic governing work of keeping the government open” before any presidential meeting.
What People Are Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a Saturday night joint statement: “President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office. As we have repeatedly said, Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people. We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis. Time is running out.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson: “When they get their job done, once they do the basic governing work of keeping the government open, as president, then you can have a meeting with him. Right now, this is just a waste of his time.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune: “I think the president speaks for himself, and I think he came to the conclusion that meeting would not be productive,” though he has since agreed to participate in Monday’s session.
What Happens Next?
The Monday meeting will likely focus on finding compromise language that can attract enough Democratic votes to pass before Tuesday’s deadline.
If successful, Congress could vote on a funding measure as early as Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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