House and Senate leaders from both major parties walked away from a White House meeting with President Trump without resolving their differences over federal spending, bringing the country closer to a government shutdown.
The primary disagreement revolves around healthcare funding, particularly the continuation of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Democratic leaders have insisted that any funding extension must include those subsidies, while Republicans argue for a “clean” stopgap measure that avoids policy changes.
President Trump signaled reluctance to agree to new healthcare provisions, though Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer observed that the president appeared more open to compromise in private discussions than his party peers.
As time runs out before the fiscal deadline, federal agencies are already preparing contingency plans for service disruptions. If a deal is not reached, numerous nonessential operations could come to a halt and federal employees may face furloughs.
