Trump to Meet Congressional Leaders Ahead of Government Shutdown Deadline

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Elizabeth Frantz, REUTERS

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders from both parties at the White House on Monday, Sept. 29, just hours before the federal government faces a potential shutdown.

A White House official confirmed that Trump will meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The meeting follows Trump’s abrupt cancellation of a previously scheduled session with Schumer and Jeffries on Thursday, Sept. 25.

The federal government is set to run out of funding at midnight on Oct. 1, the end of the fiscal year, unless Congress reaches a bipartisan agreement on a funding bill. If no deal is struck, the U.S. could face its 15th partial government shutdown since 1981.

During a shutdown, essential services including the military and law enforcement would continue operating, while non-essential services, such as national parks, could close or operate with reduced staff. The Trump administration has also warned of potential mass layoffs of federal employees and cuts to programs for low-income women and children if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement.

Republicans in the House narrowly passed a short-term funding bill on Sept. 19, intended to fund the government through Nov. 21. However, the bill stalled in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster. Senate Democrats are leveraging the moment to demand that the legislation restore looming cuts to Medicaid and expiring Obamacare subsidies.

“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,” Schumer and Jeffries said in a joint statement regarding their upcoming meeting with Trump.

The White House meeting marks a critical moment in the final hours before the funding deadline, as both parties face mounting pressure to prevent disruptions to government operations.