date_range
Wednesday 01 Oct 2025
LOCAL EDITION
close
LOCAL EDITION
The US Capitol dome. (Photo/Reuters)
A White House meeting between President Donald Trump and congressional leaders has failed to produce a breakthrough on government funding, leaving the United States less than 36 hours away from a shutdown.
"Large differences" remained between the two sides, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters after the meeting.
"It's up to the Republicans whether they want a shutdown or not," he said, adding that he had made "some proposals" to Trump.
Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of putting "a gun to the American people's head" with their funding demands.
"I think we're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing," he said.
VP calls out Dems for holding government funding hostage to broken healthcare policies:
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) September 29, 2025
“Everything they accuse of being broken about American healthcare is policy they supported for the past decade...we're headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing.” pic.twitter.com/TF0sRaB78g
Without a funding deal by midnight Tuesday, the government will partially close, halting non-essential operations, delaying benefits, and leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid.
Republicans have proposed a "clean" stop-gap measure to extend current funding through November 21.
Democrats, however, insist on restoring health care spending, including subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and blocking the administration’s attempts to cut approved funds through the rescissions process.
"Democrats are fighting to protect the health care of the American people," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
"We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans. Period. Full stop."
Just left the White House meeting with Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) September 29, 2025
This fight is about the healthcare of the American people. pic.twitter.com/q0HALCVKhq
Schumer added that Trump seemed surprised when briefed on the impact of cuts.
"By his face and by the way he looked, I think he heard about them for the first time — the closing of rural hospitals, the fact that people will pay $400 more a month," he said.
Vance acknowledged some Democratic ideas were "reasonable" but rejected linking them to the shutdown deadline.
"Let's have that conversation, but we're going to do it in the context of the people's government being open. We're not going to let you take the people's government hostage," he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson accused Democrats of bringing in "extraneous issues" instead of accepting the Republican proposal.
"If the Democrats make the decision to shut the government down, the consequences are on them," he said.
Democrats are claiming they want to “protect health care” — yet their CR counterproposal CUTS $50 BILLION from rural hospitals.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 29, 2025
If Dems don’t get their way, they’ll SHUT DOWN the government meaning: troops go UNPAID, WIC is UNFUNDED, FEMA is OFFLINE, and health services are… pic.twitter.com/ye7izLo8eq
With the deadline fast approaching, each side is digging in, raising the likelihood of the first government shutdown since March.
___
Source: TRT
