WASHINGTON - The two top Democratic leaders in Congress are demanding a meeting with President Donald Trump a day after the Senate struck down a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
Democrats have been urging Republicans to reverse recent Medicaid funding cuts that were enacted as part of Trump's major tax and spending law and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. They’ve refused to strike a funding deal unless those issues are addressed.
In a Sept. 20 letter to Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote that they are “ready to work toward a bipartisan spending agreement that improves the lives of American families and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis.”
“We do not understand why you prefer to shut down the government rather than protect the healthcare and quality of life of the American people,” they wrote, adding that it is the "obligation" of the president to meet with them directly and reach an agreement.
Trump on Sept. 19 suggested to reporters that there could be a government shutdown.
