With only days left before federal funding runs out, Republican leaders in Congress are pressing Democrats to support a temporary measure that would keep the U.S. government open and avert a shutdown. The standoff comes ahead of a White House meeting with President Donald Trump and congressional leaders on Monday, as both parties remain divided on healthcare funding and broader budget priorities.
If lawmakers fail to act, portions of the government will begin shutting down on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the first day of the 2026 fiscal year. While Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, the 100-seat Senate requires at least 60 votes to pass any short-term funding bill, meaning bipartisan support is essential. So far, Senate Democrats have blocked a stopgap measure, insisting that any spending legislation must reverse recent Republican cuts to healthcare programs.
President Trump told Reuters on Sunday that he believed Democrats were still open to compromise. “If they don’t make a deal, the country closes,” he said in a phone interview. “So I get the impression they want to do something.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Democrats to agree to a funding extension until November 21, which he argued would allow lawmakers to continue negotiations. “The only thing we are trying to do is buy a little time,” Johnson said on CNN’s State of the Union.
Democratic leaders, however, warned that the president and Republicans must be serious about negotiations. “We need a serious negotiation,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told NBC’s Meet the Press. “Now, if the president at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and say this, that and the other thing, we won’t get anything done.”
The political impasse has put the government on the verge of its 15th partial shutdown since 1981. Without a resolution, thousands of federal workers could be furloughed, from NASA scientists to national park staff, while programs such as small business grants could face delays. Federal courts might also be forced to suspend operations.
Republican leaders have accused Democrats of endangering public services for political gain. “It’s fine to have partisan debates and squabbles, but you don’t hold the people hostage for their services,” Johnson said, while also dismissing Democratic healthcare demands as “outrageous.”
Republicans currently hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate and a 219–213 edge in the House. Senate Minority Whip John Thune underscored the urgency of the situation, telling Meet the Press, “Totally up to the Democrats. The ball is in their court. They’re playing with fire and they know it.”
Democrats countered that healthcare remains a fundamental sticking point. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized that his party’s priority is ensuring affordable care for millions of Americans. “We consistently have made the point we want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican healthcare crisis that is harming everyday Americans all across the country,” Jeffries said on ABC’s This Week.
At stake are subsidies that reduce insurance costs for roughly 24 million Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. If Congress fails to act, many could see higher premiums when temporary tax credits enacted in 2021 expire.
Republicans have suggested that healthcare issues be handled separately from the funding bill, but Democrats remain opposed to that approach. With the deadline quickly approaching, Monday’s meeting at the White House is expected to be a critical test of whether both sides are willing to compromise—or allow the government to shut down yet again.
