One week left: Government shutdown threat intensifies as deadline approaches
With one week left to prevent a government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans are at odds over budget negotiations, with a big focus on healthcare funding.
With one week left to prevent a government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans are at odds over budget negotiations, with a big focus on healthcare funding.
With one week left to prevent a government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans are at odds over budget negotiations, with a big focus on healthcare funding.
With just seven days left until a funding deadline, lawmakers are locked in a heated battle to keep the government open. But there's little time to pass a budget as lawmakers remain off on holiday break and won't return until Monday.
Democrats pinned blame on President Donald Trump after a scheduled meeting with Democratic leaders on Tuesday. In a social media post, Trump called Democrats' demands "unserious and ridiculous" and said no meeting could "possibly be productive."
At the heart of the conflict is Democrats' demands to reverse recent cuts to Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income individuals and those with disabilities, and to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Experts warn that if lawmakers allow the subsidies to expire, the cost of private health insurance for millions could skyrocket.
"Instead of working with us, he rants and raves. He runs away. He hides. He ignores," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said in a press conference after the President's abrupt cancellation on Tuesday. "That's not strength. That's weakness and this is going to be Donald Trump's shutdown."
Meanwhile, House Republicans passed a temporary budget last week, maintaining current spending levels in the bill and boosting security for lawmakers following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Their proposal did not address Democrat's demands on healthcare, as Republican lawmakers said the issue could be addressed at another time.
The Senate failed to pass the House-approved bill before heading home on break. Republicans would need help from Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold to get the budget to President Trump's desk.
Watch the latest on the government shutdown deadline:
