Shutdown standoff deepens ahead of crucial meeting at the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Majority Leader John Thune are digging in ahead of this week’s deadline to keep the government open, showing little evidence of budging even as both sides have agreed to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Republicans say Democrats need to help them pass a simple extension of government funding by Tuesday night to avoid a shutdown and they will not agree to negotiate until after it’s approved. Democrats say they want immediate talks on health care, and they are willing to shut down the government if they don’t get concessions.

A shutdown is “totally up to the Democrats,” Thune, R-S.D., said in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“The ball is in their court.” Thune said. “There is a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate right now, we could pick it up today and pass it, that has been passed by the House that will be signed into law by the president to keep the government open.”

Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the same program that “it’s up to them” whether Republicans will negotiate when the two sides meet at the White House on Monday.

“God forbid the Republicans shut the government down,” Schumer said. “The American people will know it’s on their back.”

The Senate standoff is just the latest in annual disagreements over funding, but hopes are dimming for a quick resolution. Democrats have suggested they are more willing than ever to allow a shutdown as they face demands from their base voters to fight harder against Trump and the Republican-lead Congress. Some even argue that a shutdown might not make much difference because Trump has slashed so many government jobs already.

“We’re hearing from the American people that they need help on health care,” Schumer said. “And as for these massive layoffs, guess what? Simple, one-sentence answer: they’re doing it anyway.”

The Senate is expected to vote on the House-passed bill to extend government funding on Tuesday, ahead of the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline to avert a shutdown. The bill would keep the government open for another seven weeks while Congress finishes its annual spending bills.

Republicans will likely need at least eight Democrats to approve a short-term fix, as Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is expected to vote against it. Majority Republicans hold 53 seats and they need 60 votes to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.

Schumer said Democrats need “a serious negotiation” at the White House meeting with Trump and the four top congressional leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Trump last week abruptly cancelled a planned meeting with Democrats after “reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands” of Democrats, Trump said on social media.

Schumer said the rescheduled White House meeting is “a good first step.”

“Now if the President at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and say this, that and the other thing, we won’t get anything done. But my hope is it will be a serious negotiation,” Schumer said.

Ahead of the last potential government shutdown in March, many Democrats called on Schumer to resign after he provided support for Republicans to keep the government open.

Democrats now fear, among other things, that Republicans will allow Affordable Care Act tax credits expire that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. Informally known as Obamacare, tax credits for the expanded health coverage program which go to low- and middle-income people, are set to expire at the end of the year and open enrollment starts in November.

Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but not without changes. Thune said Sunday that the program is “desperately in need of reform” and “is fraught with waste, fraud, and abuse. There are so many people who don’t even know they have coverage, because the payments are made directly to the insurance company.”

The White House has raised the possibility of mass firings across the federal government if there is a shutdown. Trump’s White House told agencies to prepare large-scale layoffs of federal workers if the government shuts down.

Johnson told CNN’s State of the Union that Trump “wants to bring in the leaders to come in and act like leaders and do the right thing for the American people.” Johnson said “the only thing we are trying to do is buy a little time” with a short-term extension to finish the appropriations process.

“It’s fine to have partisan debates and squabbles but you don’t hold the people hostage for their services to allow yourself political cover and that’s what Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are doing right now.”

Johnson said Schumer “is doing this for one reason: He is trying to get cover from the far left base of his party because they’ve been hammering for not fighting Trump. So he’s going to try to show that he’s fighting Trump.”

Jeffries told ABC’s “This Week” that “we are always of the view that we need to fund the government,” later adding he is “hopeful” a deal can be reached.

Jeffries said the White House did not explain why the meeting was initially canceled and that his party would work to blunt the health care cuts Republicans approved earlier this year. Jeffries said time is of the essence because higher healthcare costs would go out “in a matter of days.”

“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people but that also addresses the Republican healthcare crisis that’s harming everyday Americans.”