Trump talks with Democrats fail to yield breakthrough as US shutdown nears
US President Donald Trump. File picture
A high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump and top congressional Democrats on Monday resulted in no apparent breakthrough in negotiations to keep the government open, with JD Vance declaring afterwards: “I think we are headed into a shutdown.”
Democrats, who are refusing to support the GOP’s legislation to continue funding beyond Tuesday unless it includes several healthcare provisions, struck a more optimistic tone following the Oval Office encounter, which also included the Republican leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said he had outlined his concerns about the state of healthcare in the country to Trump, and said: “He seemed to, for the first time, understand the magnitude of this crisis.
“We hope he’ll talk to the Republican leaders and tell them, we need bipartisan input on healthcare, on decisions into their bill. Their bill does not have these – they never talked to us.”
But there was little sign that Republicans had shifted from their demands that Senate Democrats vote for their bill that would keep the government open through 21 November, so that long-term funding talks may continue. The GOP passed that bill through the House on a near party-line vote earlier this month, but it needs at least some Democratic support to advance in the Senate.
“This is purely and simply hostage-taking on behalf of the Democrats,” said Senate majority leader John Thune.
Referring to the Republican funding proposal, Thune said: “We could pick it up and pass it tonight, and pass it tomorrow before the government shuts down.” Vance sought to pin the blame for any shutdown on the Democrats, saying: “I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing. I hope they change their mind, but we’re gonna see.”
Trump has not yet commented publicly on the meeting, which was not opened to reporters. In an interview earlier in the day with CBS News, the president said “I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue” and alleged the Democrats “are not interested in waste, fraud and abuse”.
The Democratic stand on healthcare comes as the party seeks to regain its footing with voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections, in which they are viewed as having a shot at regaining control of the House and winnowing the GOP’s majority in the Senate.
The party has refused to support the GOP funding proposal unless it includes an extension of subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans, which expire at the end of the year. They also want the undoing of cuts to Medicaid – the program providing healthcare to poor and disabled Americans – and public media, which Republicans approved earlier in the year.
Schumer signaled that the Democrats may be willing to compromise. Outside the White House, he said Trump was “the decision-maker, and if he will accept some of the things we ask, which we think the American people are for, on healthcare and on rescissions, he can avoid a shutdown, but there are still large differences between us”.
If Congress does not act, a shutdown will begin Wednesday at midnight, and would see workers furloughed and federal agencies close their doors. Last week, the White House Office of Management and Budget released a memo saying it would exploit a shutdown to carry out more mass firings as part of its crusade to slash government bureaucracy.
Polling from Morning Consult released on Monday found that 45% of voters would blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown, while 32% would blame Democrats.
In March, House Democrats voted against a Republican bill to extend government funding, only to see Schumer encourage his colleagues to advance the measure through the Senate, arguing a shutdown at that time would be “devastating”. The episode amplified disillusionment with the minority leader among the Democratic base.
On Monday afternoon, reports circulated that Schumer had discussed with Democratic lawmakers the possibility of voting for a bill that would keep the government open for about a week. At a press conference that evening, Schumer insisted he was not going to change his demands.
“We have to get it done,” he said. “The way to do this is the president, who is really listening to us, tells the Republicans to do it.”
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