WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump pulled out of an expected meeting with top Democrats in Congress to avoid a government shutdown, calling their demands "unserious and ridiculous."
"I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive," he wrote in a Sept. 23 social media post.
The president was slated to sit down with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday, Sept. 25, to negotiate over the budget impasse. Last week, members of Congress failed to advance any short-term funding extensions before a holiday break. Government funding lapses at midnight on Sept. 30.
Read more: An Obamacare fight may shut down the government. It's happened before
The major sticking points are related to health care: Democrats have said they won't vote to fund the government unless Republicans address rising health care costs, including by reversing recent Medicaid cuts and extending Obamacare premium subsidies.
