Shutdown looms as Republicans slam Democrats ahead of crucial White House meeting with Trump

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Majority Leader John Thune are digging in their heels as the threat of shutdown looms head of the deadline this week, showing little flexibility even as both sides have agreed to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Republican leaders of Congress blamed Democrats for an impasse ahead of a looming deadline to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown and urged them to agree to a short-term bill to buy some time.

Without the passage of funding legislation, some parts of the government would close on Wednesday, the first day of the US government’s 2026 fiscal year. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but a temporary measure to avert a shutdown would need at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate, meaning some Democratic votes would be needed. Senate Democrats have rejected a short-term bill, demanding that any legislation undo recent Republican cuts to healthcare programmes.

Republicans said Democrats need to help them pass a simple extension of government funding by Tuesday night to avoid a shutdown but Democrats say they want immediate talks on health care, and they are willing to shut down the government if they don’t get concessions.

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President Donald Trump will meet Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House on Monday as the clock ticks with a shutdown in sight.

Trump had abruptly cancelled a meeting with Democratic leaders on Thursday and called Democratic demands “unserious and ridiculous”. Since then, Jeffries and Schumer have been trading public barbs with Trump over the looming shutdown and their demands to attach health care policies to the temporary funding bill.

“God forbid the Republicans shut the government down. The American people will know it’s on their back,” Schumer said.

“We’re hearing from the American people that they need help on health care,” Schumer said. “And as for these massive layoffs, guess what? Simple, one-sentence answer: they’re doing it anyway.”

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Schumer said Democrats need “a serious negotiation” at the White House meeting with Trump.

“Now if the President at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and say this, that and the other thing, we won’t get anything done. But my hope is it will be a serious negotiation,” Schumer said.

The White House has raised the possibility of mass firings across the federal government if there is a shutdown. Trump’s White House told agencies to prepare large-scale layoffs of federal workers if the government shuts down.