Two top Democrats — Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — wrote a letter to President Trump urging a meeting to discuss the possibility of a government shutdown on Sept. 30.
“We write to demand a meeting in connection with your decision to shut down the federal government because of the Republican desire to continue to gut the health care of the American people,” the two New Yorkers wrote in the letter dated Saturday.
“At your direction, Republican congressional leaders have repeatedly and publicly refused to engage in bipartisan negotiations to keep the government open,” they wrote. “Notwithstanding the fact that the partisan Republican spending bill has been defeated, the GOP majorities in the House and Senate have skipped town and abdicated their responsibility to fund the government.”
It’s time for Trump to address the Republican healthcare crisis.
And avoid a painful government shutdown. pic.twitter.com/bH6JulKNQu
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) September 20, 2025
The House on Friday passed a short-term bill to keep the government open into the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, but the Senate rejected it hours later, along with an alternative proposal from Democrats that adds their health care priorities.
SEE ALSO: Congress careens toward a government shutdown with the Senate in the driver’s seat
The Senate is planning to vote on the Republican bill again when the chamber returns the week of Sept. 29. The House has adjourned through Oct. 1 to put pressure on the Senate to take that bill as the only option for averting a shutdown.
The measure extends most current spending levels and policies through Nov. 21, with some typical exceptions to allow higher rates of spending in certain programs, like ones affecting national defense, disaster prevention, and response and food assistance.
Democrats are unlikely to give in and vote for the GOP plan.
A shutdown of nonessential government services beginning Oct. 1 appears increasingly likely, and Republicans and Democrats have already started blaming each other.
“Democrats have been clear and consistent in our position. We are ready to work toward a bipartisan spending argument that improves the lives of American families and addresses the Republican health care crisis,” they wrote. “However, we will not support a dirty spending bill that continues the Republican assault on health care, which includes devastating Medicaid and Medicare cuts; skyrocketing premiums, co-pays and deductibles; the refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits; unprecedented attacks on medical research and the public health system; the suppression of vaccine availability; and the forced closure of hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics nationwide.”
The Democratic bill, in addition to permanently extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies, would have repealed recent GOP-enacted cuts to Medicaid that implement work requirements for able-bodied adults and deny coverage to illegal immigrants.
The Democratic proposal also would restore funding to the National Institutes of Health and other programs that the White House Office of Management and Budget has frozen, plus keep the Trump administration from impounding congressionally appropriated funds in the future.
“Republicans will bear responsibility for another painful government shutdown because of the refusal of GOP congressional leadership to even talk with Democrats,” Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries wrote. “As a result, it is now your obligation to meet with us directly to reach an agreement to keep the government open and address the Republican health care crisis.”
Mr. Trump hasn’t been too optimistic that the shutdown will be averted. He told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that “we’ll continue to talk to the Democrats, but I think you could very well end up with a closed country for a period of time.”
He added, “We’ll take care of the military. We’ll take care of Social Security. We’ll take care of the things we have to take care of. A lot of the things that Democrats fight for, which in many cases aren’t very good, will not be able to be paid.”
In their letter, the two lawmakers pointed to the high cost of living, increasing health care costs and the risk of bankruptcy for Americans.
“We do not understand why you prefer to shut down the government rather than protect the health care and quality of life of the American people,” they said.
