White House Meeting Looms as Shutdown Fight Puts Health, Housing and Veterans’ Programs in the Crosshairs

With a potential lapse in federal funding hours away, congressional leaders are set to meet at the White House on Monday as they spar over a short-term spending bill that would keep agencies open and extend several expiring programs. House Democratic Leader

Republicans are pressing for a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to maintain current funding levels through November 21 and carry a series of extensions, including authority for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The White House

Other organizations cited potential fallout if lawmakers miss the deadline. The U.S. Travel Association said “a shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy—costing $1 billion every week,” with longer Transportation Security Administration lines and flight delays increasingly likely the longer a funding gap persists. Law-enforcement groups, including the National Association of Police Organizations, warned that federal officers would “be putting their lives on the line without getting paid.” Veterans’ organizations said the House-passed CR contains “vital extensions” safeguarding programs for homeless veterans and suicide prevention.

Democrats argue that any stopgap must address health-care provisions they say are at risk. Mr. Jeffries said Republicans have declined “over and over” to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and warned that notices about higher costs would begin “in a matter of days” without legislative action. He also pointed to what he called “the largest cut to Medicaid in American history” alongside potential Medicare reductions if Congress fails to act by year’s end. “We actually need to enact legislation to ensure that the Affordable Care Act tax credits are extended,” he said.

Republican leaders framed the standoff as an effort to avoid disruption and protect pay for service members and federal workers. In a statement

Financial markets often look through short funding gaps, but the policy stakes are immediate for housing transactions dependent on flood insurance, hospitals relying on temporary waivers for at-home care, and state and local agencies that administer safety-net programs. The political arithmetic remains tight: “Any sustainable agreement should always be bipartisan in nature,” Mr. Jeffries said, while noting that “Republicans do control the House, the Senate and the presidency.”

As negotiators convene, both parties face pressure from constituencies warning of tangible costs if funding lapses. Whether Congress can translate that pressure into a narrowly tailored stopgap—or a broader pact that also resolves health-care subsidies—will determine whether federal services continue uninterrupted this week.