President Donald Trump met with top congressional leaders at the White House on Monday afternoon in a bid to keep the government open ahead of a shutdown deadline early Wednesday. The meeting followed his joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after which he said he would huddle with Democratic leaders about “keeping our country open,” adding that some things would “have to” be done differently.
According to reporters, the talks began shortly after the president’s appearance with Netanyahu and included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The session was behind closed doors.
Schumer and Jeffries told reporters they had concluded their portion of the meeting and that major gaps persist. Schumer said there are “still large differences between us,” citing disputes over health care and concerns that Republicans and the White House would undo previously approved funding through rescissions. “For the first time, the president heard our objections, and heard why we needed a bipartisan bill,” Schumer said, as quoted by reporters outside the West Wing. “Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input.”
Jeffries said there was a “frank and direct discussion,” but “significant and meaningful differences remain.” He emphasized Democrats’ push to “protect the health care of the American people,” calling it a serious, high-stakes issue. Both leaders declined to take questions.
The clock is quite tight. If Congress doesn’t accomplish anything, the government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. Earlier this month, the House passed a Republican temporary proposal to keep existing funding levels for seven weeks. However, it failed in the Senate, where GOP leaders need Democratic votes to move legislation forward. Democrats want to extend health care subsidies, but Republicans don’t.
President Trump canceled an initial bipartisan meeting last week, describing Democrats’ demands as “unserious and ridiculous,” and said in a weekend interview that a shutdown is likely unless Democratic leaders reverse course, according to CBS News. The White House also warned that a lapse in funding could trigger large-scale layoffs across the federal workforce. The Office of Management and Budget sent guidance to agencies to consider reduction-in-force notices for employees in programs that would lose funding during a shutdown, according to an OMB memo.
As the latest round of talks unfolded, the president reiterated that Democrats would “have to do some things” to reach agreement. Schumer said Democrats put proposals on the table and stressed that “ultimately, he’s the decisionmaker.”
Negotiators face little room for error with just hours left to secure a bipartisan path that can clear both chambers and reach the president’s desk before the deadline.
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