President Trump will meet with congressional leaders on Monday, just one day before the October 1 deadline for lawmakers to reach an agreement on government funding. The meeting, confirmed by multiple sources, comes amid heightened tension in Washington as Congress races to avoid a federal shutdown at midnight Tuesday, when the 2026 fiscal year officially begins.
The president Trump is scheduled to sit down with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the Oval Office. The high-level gathering follows a week of partisan sparring and failed legislative maneuvers, including the collapse of a short-term Republican-backed funding bill in the Senate.
In a joint statement issued Saturday, Schumer and Jeffries said they were “resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown,” adding that President Trump had “once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office.”
Trump administration and Lawmakers at an Impasse Over Spending Priorities
At the heart of the dispute is whether the final agreement should include Democratic demands for a permanent extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits and a rollback of Medicaid cuts contained in the Trump administration’s recently passed “big, beautiful bill.” Republicans have pushed for temporary funding measures, while Democrats are calling for broader provisions to ensure healthcare protections and maintain safety net programs.
Schumer reportedly pressed Thune in a private call on Friday to persuade the president Trump to attend the meeting. According to aides, Democrats view the Oval Office talks as the last viable chance to avoid a lapse in funding that would disrupt government operations nationwide.
Despite the urgency, deep divisions remain. The failed House-backed short-term bill has left lawmakers scrambling for consensus, with little time to bridge the gap before Tuesday’s deadline.
Federal Workers and Agencies Brace for Possible Shutdown
The White House Office of Management and Budget escalated preparations last week by sending a memo directing federal agencies to draft layoff plans in the event of a shutdown. The guidance asked departments to prepare “reduction-in-force” notices, signaling potential layoffs for employees in programs dependent on discretionary funding.
If Congress fails to act, hundreds of thousands of federal workers could see their pay halted, while non-essential government programs would be suspended. Democrats criticized the memo as “an attempt at intimidation,” warning that families and critical services would be unfairly impacted if the government closes.
With the clock ticking, both parties Trump administration and Congress are weighing the political risks of a shutdown while trying to claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility. Monday’s meeting is expected to determine whether Congress can strike a deal or if federal agencies must begin implementing emergency shutdown procedures.
