President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with top congressional Democrats, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, calling their demands ‘unserious and ridiculous’ as the government funding deadline nears. The decision follows a standoff over the potential shutdown, with Democrats accusing Republicans of partisan tactics while Republicans insist on a clean funding bill. The dispute marks the latest development in a contentious political battle over the future of government operations.
Lawmakers are still away from Washington, D.C., this week to observe the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the Senate is expected to return on Sept. 29. Meanwhile, the House is expected to be out until the deadline passes.
Trump nixed the meeting in a lengthy post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he blasted the duo for pushing ‘radical Left policies that nobody voted for.’ He argued that the Democrats’ bill would allow for the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts in his ‘big, beautiful bill’ to be repealed, and also blasted the Democratic continuing resolution (CR) for ending his megabill’s $50 billion rural hospital fund.
Schumer and Jeffries last month demanded a meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson to strike a deal, given that Thune will need Democratic support in the Senate. However, that meeting has so far not come to fruition, though Thune has pushed back on Schumer’s characterization and argued that if the Democratic leader wants to talk, it’s on him to make it happen.
The last time Schumer went to negotiate with Trump at the White House ahead of a looming deadline in 2018, the government shut down for 35 days, marking the longest partial closure in history. At the time, Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi were at odds with Trump on a deal to fund construction of a wall on the southern border.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that if the government shuttered, it ‘would be the fault of the Democrats.’ She emphasized the administration’s desire for a clean funding extension to keep the government open, which Trump has long advocated.
Meanwhile, the House Republicans’ bill is relatively ‘clean,’ save for tens of millions in spending for increasing security measures for lawmakers in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Congressional Democrats’ counter-proposal, which also failed last week, included more funding for member security, but also sought to repeal the healthcare portion of Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ claw back billions of canceled funding for NPR and PBS, and permanently extend the expiring ACA credits.