A federal government shutdown appears almost inevitable after a tense White House meeting between President Donald Trump and congressional leaders ended without progress on Monday.
With less than two days before federal funding expires, both Republicans and Democrats are holding firm to their positions, setting the stage for a shutdown beginning Wednesday.
Vice President JD Vance struck a grim tone as he addressed reporters following the meeting. “I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing,” Vance said, blaming the opposition for obstructing a deal.
Democratic leaders, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said afterward that the sides remain deeply divided. “We have very large differences,” Schumer acknowledged, though he added that Trump may have heard Democratic objections “for the first time,” suggesting the meeting was not entirely fruitless.
Despite the talks, both sides doubled down on blaming the other for the looming crisis. “It’s up to the Republicans whether they want a shutdown or not,” Schumer said.
Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress by slim margins along with the White House, are pushing for a stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep the government operating at current spending levels until late November. They argue that passing a “clean” resolution is the only way to prevent disruption.
Democrats, however, insist that any resolution must also extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year, along with funding for other key priorities. Without those measures, they say, the temporary bill is unacceptable.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of holding the process hostage. “This is purely and simply hostage taking,” Thune said after the White House session.
Democrats countered that they’ve been locked out of negotiations altogether. “Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we’ve done this before,” Schumer argued, underscoring frustration within his caucus.
The partisan standoff comes after dueling short-term funding proposals collapsed earlier this month in the Senate. Because of the chamber’s filibuster rules, 60 votes are needed to advance any measure. Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning at least seven Democratic votes are required to pass a spending bill – cooperation that so far has not materialized.
If no deal is reached by Wednesday, the shutdown would furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers, halt or delay services at key agencies like the IRS and National Park Service, and ripple across the U.S. economy.
The White House meeting brought together Trump, Vance, Schumer, Jeffries, and other top leaders. But even with direct talks, the entrenched positions highlighted how far apart the parties remain just hours before the deadline.
As the clock ticks down, the question is less about compromise and more about which side the public will hold responsible for the shutdown. With both parties already working to shape the narrative, the political consequences could be nearly as significant as the economic fallout.
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