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President Donald Trump canceled a gathering with high congressional Democrats on Tuesday over “unserious and ridiculous calls for” because the deadline to fund the federal government quick approaches.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had been set to fulfill with Trump on Thursday to debate a path ahead to avert a partial authorities shutdown earlier than the Sept. 30. deadline.
Lawmakers are nonetheless away from Washington, D.C., this week to watch the Jewish New 12 months, Rosh Hashanah, and the Senate is anticipated to return on Sept. 29. In the meantime, the Home is anticipated to be out till the deadline passes.
THUNE SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘COLD-BLOODED PARTISAN’ TACTICS AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS
President Donald Trump walks to Air Drive One at Morristown Airport on Sept. 14, 2025, in Morristown, New Jersey. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photos)
However Trump nixed the assembly in a prolonged submit on his social media platform Fact Social, the place he blasted the duo for pushing “radical Left insurance policies that no one voted for.”
“I’ve determined that no assembly with their Congressional Leaders may probably be productive,” Trump mentioned.
The now canceled assembly with Trump got here on the heels of a letter from Schumer and Jeffries despatched over that weekend the place the highest congressional Democrats laid the potential for a shutdown on his and Republicans’ toes.
They argued that the Trump-backed short-term extension was “soiled,” which might imply it had partisan coverage riders or spending connected to it, and panned it for persevering with “the Republican assault on well being care,” ignoring expiring Reasonably priced Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies, and probably resulting in the closure of hospitals and different well being care amenities throughout the nation.
“With the September thirtieth deadline quick approaching, Republicans will bear duty for an additional painful authorities shutdown due to the refusal of GOP congressional management to even speak with Democrats,” they wrote on the time.
However Trump argued that their invoice would permit for the almost $1 trillion {dollars} in Medicaid cuts in his “large, lovely invoice” to be repealed, and likewise blasted the Democratic persevering with decision (CR) for ending his megabill’s $50 billion rural hospital fund.
TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE
Senate Democrats supplied a counter-proposal to congressional Republicans’ short-term funding extension that features coverage riders which might be a purple line for the GOP. (Al Drago/Bloomberg through Getty Photos)
“We should preserve the Authorities open, and legislate like true Patriots relatively than maintain American Residents hostage, understanding that they need our now thriving Nation closed,” he mentioned.
“I’ll be completely happy to fulfill with them if they comply with the Rules on this Letter,” Trump continued. “They have to do their job! In any other case, it is going to simply be one other lengthy and brutal slog by way of their radicalized quicksand. To the Leaders of the Democrat Get together, the ball is in your court docket. I look ahead to assembly with you if you turn into lifelike in regards to the issues that our Nation stands for. DO THE RIGHT THING!”
Schumer and Jeffries final month demanded a gathering with Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., and Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to strike a deal, on condition that Thune will want Democratic help within the Senate.
Nonetheless, that assembly has up to now not come to fruition — although Thune has pushed again on Schumer’s characterization and argued that if the Democratic chief desires to speak, it’s on him to make it occur.
“After weeks of Republican stonewalling in Congress, President Trump has agreed to fulfill this week within the Oval Workplace,” they mentioned in a joint assertion. “Within the assembly, we are going to emphasize the significance of addressing rising prices, together with the Republican well being care disaster. It’s previous time to fulfill and work to keep away from a Republican-caused shutdown.”
The final time Schumer went to barter with Trump on the White Home forward of a looming deadline in 2018, the federal government shutdown for 35 days, which marked the longest partial closure in historical past. On the time, Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had been at odds with Trump on a deal to fund development of a wall on the Southern Border.
Previous to the assembly being introduced, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that if the federal government shuttered, it “can be the fault of the Democrats.”
“We wish a clear funding extension to maintain the federal government open, that’s all we’re advocating for,” she mentioned.
SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK DEMOCRATS’ ‘FILTHY’ COUNTEROFFER AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINE LOOMS
Senate Majority Chief Sen. John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks as Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (L) listens throughout a information briefing after the weekly Senate Republican coverage luncheon on the Capitol on July 22, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Senate GOPs held a weekly coverage luncheon to debate the Republican agenda. (Photograph by Alex Wong/Getty Photos) (Getty Photos/Alex Wong)
Nonetheless, the Home Republicans’ invoice is comparatively “clear,” save for tens of hundreds of thousands in spending for growing safety measures for lawmakers within the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Congressional Democrats’ counter-proposal, which additionally failed final week, included extra funding for member safety, but additionally sought to repeal the well being care portion of Trump’s “large, lovely invoice,” clawback billions of canceled funding for NPR and PBS, and completely lengthen the expiring ACA credit.
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Thune famous final week that CRs “aren’t locations to load large well being coverage adjustments in.”
“I feel that we’re open to the dialog about what we do with the Obamacare premium tax credit score,” Thune mentioned. “Is that one thing by which members, Republican senators, and I feel, for that matter, Republican Home members, have an curiosity, as properly.”
“However this is not the place to do this,” he continued. “That is the place to fund the federal government, to permit our appropriations course of to proceed that subject.”
