As a potential federal government shutdown looms, Democratic leaders in Congress are urging President Donald Trump to meet with them to discuss the situation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent a letter on Saturday, stating that the Republicans, at Trump's direction, have refused to engage in negotiations. They emphasized the need for bipartisan talks to prevent a shutdown, which they attribute to what they call Trump's decision to close government offices if no agreement is reached by the end of the month.

In their letter, Schumer and Jeffries expressed concern over the impact of a shutdown on health care programs. "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 healthcare of the American people," they wrote. They reiterated their commitment to working towards a bipartisan spending agreement that would benefit American families and address ongoing health care issues.

The White House has not yet responded to the request for a meeting. Congress, currently under Republican control, did not resolve the funding issue before lawmakers left for a break on Friday. The House passed a Republican proposal to fund the government through November, but it failed to gain traction in the Senate. A competing Democratic proposal aimed at increasing health care funding also did not pass.

With the September 30 deadline approaching, both parties are at an impasse. Trump previously indicated that a government shutdown could occur, stating, "We could have a closed country for a period of time," while assuring that military and Social Security payments would continue during any closure.

Republicans have shifted the blame for a potential shutdown onto Democrats. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have proposed a short-term funding measure to maintain current government operations while negotiations continue. However, the Senate requires a higher threshold of 60 votes for passage, necessitating support from both parties.

Democrats are particularly focused on protecting health care programs. Their proposal seeks to extend enhanced health insurance subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year and to reverse Medicaid cuts included in recent Republican legislation. Republicans have dismissed the idea of reversing Medicaid changes as a nonstarter but acknowledged that there is time to address health insurance subsidies in the future.

As the deadline nears, the pressure mounts on both parties to find a resolution to avoid a government shutdown.