Washington D.C.: President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday, September 29, 2025, a day before the federal government faces a potential shutdown. The meeting will include House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A White House official and other sources confirmed the planned meeting on Saturday (September 27). The meeting aims to resolve the stalemate over government funding, which expires at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday (October 1, 2025).
Democrats push for healthcare provisions
Democratic leaders have insisted that their votes for a stopgap funding measure be tied to key healthcare provisions, including an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and reversing Medicaid cuts enacted through the GOP’s tax reforms earlier this year.
“President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office. Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people,” stated Schumer and Jeffries in a joint statement on Saturday evening.
Democrats maintain they have leverage and believe any failure to pass the funding bill would be politically damaging to Republicans, even though the outcome is uncertain.
GOP pushes for a straight funding extension
Republicans, led by Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Thune, have called for a straight seven-week extension of existing federal funding. They are willing to discuss healthcare issues separately but have rejected tying them to the government funding measure.
Earlier in the week, Johnson acknowledged advising Trump not to meet with Democratic leaders until basic government funding was resolved. He told the Mike & McCarty Show,
“He and I talked about it at length. Once they do the basic governing work of keeping the government open, then you can have a meeting with him.”
Thune, R-S.D., also stated that while he discussed the meeting with Trump, the President ultimately decided that a meeting would not be productive at the time.
Political tensions and potential fallout
The standoff has created political tension in both chambers. House Republicans planned to stay away from Washington in protest, which Democrats criticized as being “on vacation”, according to Jeffries.
With only hours remaining before the funding deadline, the White House meeting is seen as a critical opportunity for bipartisan negotiation to avoid a federal government shutdown, which would disrupt services for millions of Americans.
Conclusion
As Monday’s White House talks approach, both parties face intense pressure to reach a consensus. With Democrats insisting on healthcare guarantees and Republicans demanding a straight funding extension, the meeting could determine whether the government remains operational or enters an unprecedented shutdown.