Crunch talks at White House
US President Donald Trump will meet congressional leaders on Monday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown, with funding set to expire at 11.59pm US Eastern Time on Tuesday.
The White House talks come after Trump cancelled a planned meeting earlier in the week with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. Without a deal, hundreds of thousands of federal workers face furloughs and services could grind to a halt.
Partisan blame game
Republicans need seven Democratic votes in the Senate to pass their stop-gap bill, which would keep the government running until 20 November. The GOP insists its plan is a “clean” funding extension, while Democrats are demanding a deal that also secures tax credits linked to the Affordable Care Act.
Both sides are already blaming each other. “These people are crazy, the Democrats. So if it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down,” Trump said on Friday. Democrats counter that Republicans have refused to negotiate in good faith. Schumer said the president must choose between “serious negotiation” or “ranting and yelling”.
Political stakes
The administration has further inflamed tensions by suggesting agencies could use a shutdown as an opportunity to permanently sack federal workers, echoing earlier cuts imposed under its Department of Government Efficiency.
Vice-president JD Vance insisted Republicans “don’t want to shut down the government”, while House Speaker Mike Johnson said the White House meeting was about “common sense” talks.
The last US shutdown, during Trump’s first term, dragged on for 35 days and became the longest in history. With polls unclear on who would shoulder the blame, strategist Whit Ayres warned most voters may simply conclude: “a pox on both your houses.”
