President Donald Trump on Tuesday rebuffed a request by top Democratic lawmakers to meet until the three-week-old U.S. government shutdown ends.

“I would like to meet with both of them, but I said one little caveat, I will only meet if they let the country open,” Trump told reporters, referencing the request by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to meet “anytime, anyplace.”

Affordable Care Act extension becomes a crucial point

All but three senators in the Democratic caucus are withholding their support for the Republican-led stopgap funding bill, unless Trump and enough Republican lawmakers agree to an extension of an enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credit that is due to expire on December 31.

Without an ACA extension, millions o

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