Washington State Standard

WASHINGTON — Democratic and Republican lawmakers remained far apart Monday with just over 24 hours until a federal government shutdown begins, after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump and congressional leaders meant to spur negotiations.

Democrats are demanding promises to lower rising health care costs, and Republicans are pushing for a “clean” stopgap bill to keep the government running through mid-November.

“It is our job as legislative leaders to try and solve this problem, or at least fix the problem, and we focused in the room in particular on the (Affordable Care Act) and its extension,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, told reporters on Capitol Hill a short time later.

Vice President JD Vance, flanked by Thune, Johnson and Office

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