Punchbowl: Top four congressional leaders to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday

Punchbowl: Top four congressional leaders to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday

Washington, D.C. — In a move to avert a potential federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump has scheduled a meeting with the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday. The meeting comes as negotiations over health care funding and other budgetary issues remain at a stalemate.

The meeting will bring together President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). The leaders will discuss the ongoing budget negotiations, with a particular focus on health care funding.

The scheduled meeting follows a series of failed attempts to reach a compromise on the budget. The House approved a Republican proposal to keep the federal government funded into November, but the measure failed in the Senate due to a lack of Democratic support. A Democratic proposal that would have boosted health care funds also failed, with Republicans expressing their unwillingness to reverse Medicaid cuts.

The White House has been reluctant to engage in negotiations with the Democrats, with President Trump stating that he does not believe the meeting will have any impact. However, the meeting is seen as a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown, which could have significant economic implications.

The meeting is set for Monday, one day before the government's new fiscal year begins on Tuesday, September 30. The risk of a shutdown has intensified in recent days, with Congress sent home amid the logjam and the House calling off next week's session.

The meeting will be closely watched by financial markets, as a government shutdown could disrupt economic activity and have a negative impact on investor confidence. However, the leaders are expected to remain optimistic about reaching a compromise and avoiding a shutdown.