Trump Cancels Meeting as Shutdown Risk Grows

With the Sept. 30 federal funding deadline approaching, a stalemate over short-term funding and healthcare provisions risks a partial government shutdown. President Trump canceled a planned Oval Office meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, calling Democratic proposals “unserious” and saying he would only meet if they drop certain demands. Democrats had sought the sit-down to avert a shutdown and to press for reversing recent Medicaid cuts and extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. Both parties failed to advance short-term funding measures in the Senate last week, and Congress is in recess, narrowing the window to act and raising the odds of a lapse in funding. The standoff leaves pressure on Senate Republicans to broker a deal next week to prevent a shutdown and resolve the healthcare funding dispute.