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President Donald Trump meets Monday at 2 p.m. ET with top bipartisan, bicameral congressional leaders as the clock ticks down toward a potential government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
But there is little optimism for the meeting.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have not met with Trump since he returned to office. Democrats are insisting on subsidies to make Obamacare coverage cheaper and a reinstatement of money cut for public radio and television.
Previous meetings between Trump and top Democrats have ended badly. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stormed out of one such session.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHANCES ASTRONOMICAL AS CONGRESS BARRELS TOWARD DEADLINE
The prospects of a shutdown are extremely high. There have been no talks or trading of offers for weeks. The House approved a stopgap bill to simply renew all existing funding at present levels, and then they left town.
Only the Senate is in session today. The Senate likely re-votes a procedural vote which failed just to start debate on the House-approved bill tomorrow, hours before the deadline. That needs 60 yeas to break a filibuster. Otherwise, the government is on cruise control for a shutdown.
GARBAGE COLLECTION, TOURS TO BE SUSPENDED ON CAPITOL HILL IF THERE’S A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
House Republicans may not be in Washington, but House Democrats will descend on the Capitol late this afternoon for a caucus meeting.
The government last shut down in late 2018 — early 2019. It closed for a record 35 days over a dispute about money for Trump’s border wall.
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