Trump to hold meeting with Democratic leaders Schumer and Jeffries this week, says statement

Trump to hold meeting with Democratic leaders Schumer and Jeffries this week, says statement

President Donald Trump will meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries this week to discuss government funding ahead of a looming shutdown deadline. The meeting, which is expected to take place on Thursday, comes after Schumer and Jeffries requested a sitdown with Trump to avoid a government shutdown .

The Democratic leaders, frustrated with Republican congressional leaders' refusal to negotiate, sent a letter to Trump on Saturday, asking for a direct meeting. Trump has been receptive to the idea but has expressed skepticism about the impact it may have. The meeting is scheduled to occur while both the House and Senate are out of session, with funding set to expire at midnight on September 30 .

The meeting is part of ongoing negotiations over a clean seven-week stopgap spending bill proposed by Republicans and a Democratic alternative that would extend government funding for four weeks while attaching other demands. The Democratic bill includes provisions for extending health insurance subsidies and rolling back Medicaid cuts, while Republicans have argued against attaching these provisions to the stopgap bill .

The meeting is expected to focus on these key issues, with both sides under intense pressure from their respective bases. However, it remains unclear whether top Republican congressional leaders will participate. The annual funding debate covers only about one-quarter of the federal government's $7 trillion budget, which also includes mandatory programs such as Social Security and Medicare, as well as payments on the nation's $37.5 trillion debt .