US Government Shutdown Looms Amid GOP-Democrat Standoff on Funding and Healthcare

President Donald Trump has canceled a meeting with congressional Democrats amid a looming federal government shutdown, signaling a hardline Republican stance that aims to pressure Democrats into accepting a seven-week funding extension without concessions. Trump and GOP leaders are prepared to make the shutdown particularly painful for Democrats by prioritizing funding for Republican priorities and potentially reducing federal workforce and programs. Democrats, meanwhile, are standing firm, demanding protections for Affordable Care Act subsidies and opposing what they consider excessive Republican spending cuts, refusing to yield despite threats of mass federal worker layoffs. Senate Democrats insist they cannot support a House-passed clean continuing resolution without negotiations, but Republicans have framed the upcoming vote as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Both parties appear entrenched with little sign of compromise, raising the likelihood of a shutdown, with Democrats warning that backing down would undermine their key health care goals and Republicans confident in leveraging the shutdown's impact. The standoff highlights deep partisan divisions, with Trump dismissing Democratic demands as "unserious and ridiculous," and Democrats accusing the president of refusing to negotiate and risking a shutdown for political gain.