WASHINGTON: US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, on Saturday (Sep 20) demanded a meeting with President Donald Trump to avoid a government shutdown when funding ends on Sep 30.
In a letter addressed to Trump, Schumer and Jeffries said Republican congressional leaders had repeatedly and publicly refused to engage in bipartisan negotiations to keep the government open at the direction of the president.
Healthcare is at the center of the fight over funding, with Democrats seeking more money for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and the restoration of funding cut from the Medicaid healthcare program for lower-income Americans.
“Democrats have been clear and consistent in our position. We are ready to work toward a bipartisan spending agreement that improves the lives of American families and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis,” Schumer and Jeffries wrote.
“However, we will not support a dirty spending bill that continues the Republican assault on healthcare.”
The Senate on Friday rejected a short-term funding bill and then left town for a week-long break, increasing the odds of a shutdown.
