United States President Donald Trump is set to meet with top Republicans and Democrats in Congress on Monday, September 29, 2025, in a high-stakes bid to prevent a partial government shutdown. The meeting comes as lawmakers remain deeply divided over a stopgap spending bill intended to keep the federal government funded until November 21.
The standoff began earlier this month when Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-drafted spending measure. Democrats insist that any short-term bill should reverse recent cuts to Medicaid and expand healthcare coverage. Republicans, however, argue that healthcare policy should be debated separately within a broader, long-term spending package.
In the 100-member Senate, Republicans hold a narrow majority with 53 seats, but spending bills require at least 60 votes to pass. This has forced both parties into a deadlock. On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) publicly exchanged blame.
“The ball is in their court,” Thune told NBC’s Meet the Press, urging Democrats to support the current bill. Schumer, appearing on the same program, countered that the White House must engage in “serious negotiation” instead of political posturing.
The meeting with Trump follows a week of tension after the president abruptly canceled talks with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, accusing Democrats of making “ridiculous demands.”
If no deal is reached by the deadline, hundreds of thousands of federal employees will go unpaid during the shutdown, with many furloughed until a resolution is reached. Although workers typically receive backpay once funding is restored, the disruption can have serious financial and operational consequences.
Since 1980, the United States has experienced 14 government shutdowns, most lasting only a few days. The longest, stretching 34 days between 2018 and 2019, crippled federal operations and cost billions in lost productivity.
As the clock ticks down, Monday’s meeting will test whether Trump and congressional leaders can bridge their differences—or whether the country is headed toward yet another shutdown.
