WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is expected to meet with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this week to discuss funding the government as the specter of a shutdown looms, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
A time and a date have not yet been set. The meeting is expected to take place in Washington.
Jeffries and Schumer, both of New York, had requested that the meeting take place ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline.
Trump said over the weekend, "I’d love to meet with them, but I don’t think it’s going to have any impact."
The Senate voted last week to block dueling Republican and Democratic proposals to keep the government funded past Sept. 30 on a short-term basis.
A deal to avert a shutdown and give lawmakers more time to work out a longer-term deal has to be bipartisan to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.
The Democrats' funding bill would extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
The Republican bill would fund the government at current spending levels through Nov. 21 but preserve cuts to previously appropriated spending that have incensed Democrats.
The GOP bill fell 16 votes short of the 60 needed, while the Democratic bill fell 13 votes short.
The House and the Senate are on recess this week, and Republican leaders have decided not to bring the House back until after the funding deadline.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., last week said the bill Democrats "put on the floor makes it very clear they are very unserious."
Schumer and other Democrats have noted that Trump has publicly called on Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., not to negotiate with Democrats over a funding bill.
If there is a shutdown, mandatory services such as the Border Patrol, the Postal Service and Social Security will continue, but many federal workers will go unpaid.
Melanie Zanona and Julie Tsirkin reported from Washington and Dareh Gregorian from New York.
