


President Donald Trump is set to meet with two of his biggest political rivals and critics in an effort to avoid a government shutdown.
Trump has agreed to meet Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to discuss potential resolutions to avoid the government shutting down after the current funding bill expires on Sept. 30. The meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, according to reports.
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Trump’s decision to meet with Democrats comes just days after Schumer and Jeffries wrote a letter to the president demanding a meeting. They accused Trump and Republicans of blocking progress toward a funding resolution and gutting the country’s healthcare system. They also accused the president of prioritizing a government shutdown over “protecting healthcare.”
“We write to demand a meeting in connection with your decision to shut down the federal government because of the Republican desire to continue to gut the healthcare of the American people,” read the letter by Schumer and Jeffries.
SCHUMER AND JEFFRIES DEMAND MEETING WITH TRUMP AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS
“As a result, it is now your obligation to meet with us directly to reach an agreement to keep the government open and address the Republican healthcare crisis,” Schumer and Jeffires claimed. “We do not understand why you prefer to shut down the government rather than protect the healthcare and the quality of life of the American people.”
The Democratic congressional leaders sent the letter on Saturday.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats would be responsible if the government were forced to shut down.
“We want a clean funding extension to keep the government open,” said Leavitt. That’s all we’re advocating for, a simple clean budget extension, a straightforward responsible solution to keep the government open to November 21, and allow the full year of appropriations process to move forward.”
Leavitt also highlighted that what Republicans are asking for is what Democrats agreed to six months ago.
“And I will add, this is the same budget that the Democrats approved six months ago, just adjusted for inflation, and unfortunately, all of a sudden now, they want to shut down the government,” Leavitt said. “And if the government is shut down, it will be the fault of the Democrats, and it will only hurt the most vulnerable in our country, our seniors, our veterans, our military families.”