Government shutdown deadline days away, but Dems don’t budge on demands

By Thérèse Boudreaux
The Center Square

Less than 48 hours until the federal government runs out of money, Democratic congressional leaders show no signs of folding on their budget demands.

President Donald Trump and Republican leaders will finally meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to discuss a government funding deal Monday afternoon, after Trump canceled a meeting last week.

But neither side is expecting an immediate deal, as Democrats’ demands are currently incompatible with Republicans’ funding stopgap.

Republicans’ clean Continuing Resolution simply extends existing federal funding levels until Nov. 21 and provides extra security for lawmakers. This would buy lawmakers time to pass all 12 appropriations bills providing fresh funds to government agencies for fiscal year 2026.

Democrats, however, see the stopgap as an opportunity to boost government-subsidized health care. Their CR includes healthcare-related policy riders costing up to $1.4 trillion.

Although Republicans’ CR is free of any partisan policy riders, Democrats argue that omitting health care provisions amounts to “gutting” health care. They are particularly concerned about the sunsetting of the pandemic-era expansion of Obamacare Premium Tax Credits to people earning up to 400% of the federal poverty line.

“What [Democrats] will not do is support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of the American people,” Jeffries told reporters Monday morning. “We’ve made clear that we are willing to find a bipartisan path forward on a spending bill negotiated by Democrats and Republicans. But it has to meet the needs of the American people.”

Republicans’ CR already passed the House, but at least seven Democratic votes are needed for it to pass the Senate. Senators failed to pass either Republicans’ or Democrats’ funding stopgaps before recessing, and now lawmakers have returned to the same predicament with even less time to act.

“Democrats are holding the government hostage over $1.5 trillion in partisan spending,” Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, posted on X Monday. “@HouseGOP did our job. We passed a clean CR to keep the government open and allow regular order negotiations to continue. The ball is in Senate Dem’s court to prevent a Schumer Shutdown.”