Republican leaders in both chambers are holding the line and saying they are not ceding to Democratic demands in order to pass funding for the government, heightening the imminent threat of a shutdown this week. It comes as congressional leaders prepare to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
Republicans have maintained that Congress should pass a “clean” funding bill and not give in to Democratic demands to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. They have squarely laid the blame for any shutdown on Democrats, who are withholding votes to fund the government in the Senate in an attempt to get Republicans to the negotiating table.
“It’s totally up to the Democrats. This is – the ball is in their court. There is a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate right now – we could pick it up today and pass it – that has been passed by the House, that will be signed in law by the president to keep the government open,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise echoed Thune’s remarks on ABC’s “This Week.”
“So right now, it’s over in the Senate, and it’s on (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer and Democrats in the Senate to keep the government from shutting down. And I hope they’ll come to their senses and do that early next week,” Scalise said.
Although Republicans control Capitol Hill and the White House, they need at least seven Democrats in the Senate to join them to pass a spending package under the chamber’s rules. But Democratic leaders have continued to draw a hard line, saying those votes won’t come without a deal to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he hopes to avoid a shutdown but argued that outcome depends on Republicans.
“Our position has been very clear: cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save healthcare,” Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week.”
The positions laid out by both parties set the stage for a tense meeting at the White House on Monday. The meeting will bring together House Speaker Mike Johnson, Thune, Jeffries and Schumer.
Johnson would not say wether Trump is willing to negotiate with Democratic leadership during Monday’s meeting.
“I’m not going to get in front of the President and tell you what he will do, but I talked with him, you know, a couple of times, even yesterday and I’m telling you where his head is. He wants to bring in the leaders, to come in and act like leaders and do the right thing for the American people,” Johnson told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” on Sunday.
Senate Democrats are expected to hold a conference call Sunday afternoon for the caucus to discuss strategy ahead of Tuesday’s government shutdown deadline, according to a Democratic source.
A potential shutdown would affect hundreds and thousands of federal workers and significantly impact several federal agencies like the IRS and the US National Park Service.
Speaking on CNN’s “Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju,” Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat, said,“It’s important for Democrats to use their leverage this time.”
“(Trump’s) been playing golf all weekend rather than having these negotiations (…) This is Donald Trump’s decision whether the government shuts down,” Moulton said.
CNN’s Manu Raju contributed to this report.
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