No deal in talks to avoid shutdown as parties blame each other

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(The Center Square) – The top four congressional leaders made little headway on a government funding compromise in a Monday meeting with President Donald Trump, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown on Wednesday

Despite the looming deadline, negotiations between Republicans and Democrats had to a standstill after Senate Democrats blocked the passage of Republicans’ short-term funding stopgap two weeks ago. 

Republicans’ Continuing Resolution – which the Senate will vote on again Tuesday – would extend existing government funding levels until Nov. 21, buying lawmakers time to pass all 12 annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026. 

Democrats oppose the bill because they say that a funding stopgap should also address health care policy, particularly the upcoming expiration of the enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credit. Their counter-proposal, which also failed in the Senate, includes health care-related policy riders costing up to $1.4 trillion.

Republicans refused to include such costly partisan provisions in a short-term funding patch even as Democrats dug in their heels, and the Monday meeting seemingly failed to soften either side’s position.

“Look, the principle at stake here is very simple,” Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters afterward. “You don’t use your policy disagreements as leverage … you don’t put a gun to the American people’s heads and say ‘unless you do exactly what the Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we’re going to shut down your government.’ That is exactly what they’re proposing.”

Vance added that Republicans are willing to discuss Democrats’ health care policy concerns, but “let’s do it in the context of an open government that’s providing essential services to the American people.”

“That’s all that we’re proposing to do, and the fact that they refuse to do that shows how unreasonable their position is,” he said. “I think we’re headed into a shutdown, because the Democrats won’t do the right thing.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pinned the blame on Republicans if the government shuts down, but seemed slightly more hopeful that leaders could reach an agreement if Trump intercedes.

“It’s up to the Republicans whether they want a shutdown or not. We’ve made to the president some proposals, the Republican leaders will have to talk to him about them, but ultimately he’s the decision-maker,” Schumer told reporters. “And if he will accept some of the things we ask – which we think the American people are for, on health care and rescissions – he can avoid a shutdown. But there’s still large differences between us.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., however, described Democratic leaders’ ultimatums as “purely a hostage-taking exercise.”

“It is totally up to the Democrats, because right now, they are the only thing standing between the American people and the government shutting down,” Thune said. “We’re willing to sit down and work with them on some of the issues they want to talk about … But as of right now, this is a hijacking of the American people, and it’s the American people who are going to pay the price.”