By James Oliphant
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ahead of a meeting between lawmakers and President Donald Trump, the Republican leaders of Congress sought on Sunday to blame Democrats for an impasse prior to a looming deadline to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown and urged them to agree to a short-term bill to buy some time.
Without passage of funding legislation, parts of the government would close on Wednesday, the first day of the U.S. government’s 2026 fiscal year. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but a temporary measure keeping the government open would have to amass at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate, meaning some Democratic votes would be needed.
Senate Democrats have rejected a short-term bill, demanding that any legislation undo recent Republican cuts to healthcare programs.
The Republican president has summoned congressional leaders from both parties to a White House sitdown on Monday to discuss funding legislation.
The Republican congressional leaders said they are eager to avert a shutdown.
Republican Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives, called on Democrats to support a stopgap measure that would fund the government through November 21 while allowing appropriators to continue to hammer out spending bills.
“The only thing we are trying to do is buy a little time,” Johnson said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday.
“We need a serious negotiation,” Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s leading Democrat, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” program. “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.”
The federal government is on the brink of its 15th partial shutdown since 1981 because lawmakers have failed to agree on a plan for discretionary funding – the money that is allocated through the annual congressional budgeting process – for the new fiscal year, or about one-quarter of the $7 trillion U.S. budget.
If Congress does not act, thousands of federal government workers could be furloughed, from NASA to the national parks, and a wide range of services would be disrupted. Federal courts might have to close and grants for small businesses could be delayed.
Johnson called demands by the Democrats “outrageous,” saying government workers and people who rely on government services will suffer.
“It’s fine to have partisan debates and squabbles, but you don’t hold the people hostage for their services,” Johnson said.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 219-213 majority in the House.
‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’
Johnson and other Republicans made it clear on Sunday that they expect Democrats to agree to the stopgap funding measure and that Monday’s White House meeting is not intended to act as a springboard for wide-ranging talks.
“Totally up to the Democrats. The ball is in their court,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on “Meet the Press.”
“They’re playing with fire and they know it,” Thune added.
Schumer said he hopes for further talks ahead of the deadline.
“We don’t want a shutdown,” Schumer said. “But the fundamental question hasn’t been answered yet, and we’ll see on Monday: Are they serious about negotiating with us in a real way?”
A Republican congressional leadership source confirmed that the plan for Monday’s meeting with Trump is to urge Democrats to vote for the funding resolution so that the House and Senate can have time to complete the appropriations process.
Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House, said he is hopeful a shutdown can be avoided but stressed that his party’s healthcare concerns must be addressed. Democrats are seeking expanded healthcare subsidies for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare.
Roughly 24 million Americans who get coverage through the act will see their costs rise if Congress does not extend temporary tax breaks that were passed in 2021.
“We consistently have made the point 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 is harming everyday Americans all across the country,” Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week” program.
Johnson and other Republicans have suggested dealing with healthcare subsidies as a separate issue after a temporary funding bill is passed, but Democrats have been cool toward that idea.
(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, Richard Cowan, Steve Holland, David Morgan, James Oliphant and Joseph TanfaniWriting by James OliphantEditing by Colleen Jenkins)
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