Trump to Meet Schumer and Jeffries as Shutdown Risk Looms

President Donald Trump will meet with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries this week as the threat of a federal government shutdown grows. The session is set for Thursday, two people familiar with the plan said, as lawmakers scramble to avert a lapse in funding ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline and the end of the fiscal year.

With the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and funding set to run dry when the new year begins, the talks come at a critical point in the funding cycle. Democrats have pressed for talks that would preserve health care programs as part of any spending agreement, while Republicans have said there should be room to address health subsidies in the months ahead. The plan to convene the talks demonstrates an effort to jump-start negotiations after days of deadlock in both chambers.

Trump left open the possibility of a meeting but tempered expectations about its efficacy. “I’d love to meet with them, but I don’t think it’s going to have any impact,” the president said Saturday when asked about the prospects for a breakthrough in the talks.

The funding fight has centered on two parallel tracks. In the House, Republicans advanced a stopgap funding bill designed to keep the government funded through November, but the measure stalled in the Senate where a 60-vote threshold can block such legislation. Democrats have proposed a package that would extend enhanced subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and reverse Medicaid changes enacted in the year’s tax and spending package. Republicans say reversing those Medicaid changes is a nonstarter, though some indicated there could be room to address the health insurance subsidies in the coming months if a broader deal emerges.

The meeting was first reported by Punchbowl News, underscoring how both parties are seeking to test whether a negotiated path exists before the government shuts down. If no agreement is reached, federal agencies would begin a shutdown that could disrupt services across many departments, extending the current stalemate and delaying funding for dozens of programs that rely on federal support. As the clock ticks toward Oct. 1, Republican and Democratic leaders are under intense pressure to bridge differences, even as political headwinds and intra-party splits complicate the effort.

The dynamics reflect broader debates about the balance between fiscal discipline and social programs. Democrats have argued that preserving subsidies for health insurance is essential to avoid destabilizing coverage for millions of Americans, particularly in an economy still recovering from recent disruptions. Republicans have emphasized spending restraint and fiscal responsibility, insisting any deal must address broader budget concerns and avoid adding to the deficit. The disagreement over Medicaid, in particular, has been a flashpoint, with Democrats urging restoration of prior limits and protections, while Republicans view those changes as part of a broader reform effort.

As negotiations continue, lawmakers on both sides acknowledge that a comprehensive, long-term funding agreement remains elusive. The Thursday meeting could set the tone for how aggressively parties pursue a compromise in the remaining days before the deadline. In the meantime, the administration has signaled that it is prepared to operate under a continuing resolution if a broader agreement cannot be reached in time, a tactic that would delay, but not eliminate, the risk of a shutdown. The coming days will reveal whether the talks yield a workable framework that can win enough votes to pass both chambers and avoid a lapse in funding.