Government Shutdown Looms as Trump, Democrats Clash Over Spending and Healthcare Ahead of October 1 Deadline

Washington — President Trump indicated Sunday that a government shutdown is highly probable unless key Democrats adjust their negotiating stance. “I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,” Mr. Trump stated in a phone interview, expressing confidence that the public would support him if funding expires and Democrats would face political repercussions for not agreeing to his terms on spending cuts.

“They’re not interested in fraud, waste and abuse,” Mr. Trump asserted regarding the Democrats. He is scheduled to meet Monday with congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, ahead of the critical October 1 deadline for a spending bill agreement.

Sources close to the President suggest he privately welcomes a shutdown, believing it would allow him to utilize executive powers to cut government programs and salaries. This follows a memo from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to federal agencies last week, instructing them to prepare for potential layoffs if a shutdown occurs, specifically targeting programs inconsistent with the President’s priorities.

Mr. Trump criticized Democrats’ demands, which include extending Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, proposing instead that any health care discussions must address immigration and border security. “The Democrats, incredibly, want to keep their old policies of open borders and we’re not going to have it,” he stated, deeming it “not acceptable for us” otherwise.

Democrats have vehemently rejected Trump’s characterization of their positions. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries clarified Saturday that current federal law prohibits taxpayer dollars for undocumented immigrants’ healthcare, emphasizing their fight to protect healthcare for everyday Americans amidst what he called a “Republican-caused crisis.” Senator Amy Klobuchar echoed this Sunday, highlighting Democratic unity on healthcare and the urgency for a solution to prevent insurance premium increases.

The Senate returns to Washington Monday with limited time to act. Earlier this month, the House passed a GOP-led continuing resolution to fund the government until November 21, but it, along with a Democratic proposal for funding until October 31 (which included ACA tax credit extensions and Medicaid funding restorations), failed in the Senate. Thune stressed that averting a shutdown now rests “totally up to the Democrats,” needing eight Democratic votes to pass the House-approved bill.

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