U.S. Capitol Building. Reuters Yonhap News. 

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with leaders of the opposition Democratic Party to reach an agreement on the government budget as the possibility of a federal government shutdown looms, Politico, a U.S. political news outlet, reported on the 27th (local time).

According to the report, three sources, who requested anonymity, said that President Trump is scheduled to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the afternoon of the 29th.

Senate Minority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, both Republicans, will also be present at the meeting.

Politico reported that the meeting was arranged at the request of Minority Leader Schumer, who asked Minority Leader Thune to "arrange a meeting as the government shutdown deadline is rapidly approaching."

The meeting between President Trump and the leaders of both parties comes just two days before some federal government agencies would cease operations (shutdown) starting October 1st if an agreement on the budget is not reached, making it noteworthy whether a consensus can be found.

The U.S. Congress has failed to agree on a government budget for the period after September 30th, when the 2025 fiscal year ends.

A seven-week short-term spending bill (continuing resolution, or CR) that would allow government agencies to operate after the end of the fiscal year passed the House of Representatives on the 19th, led by Republicans, but was rejected by the Senate on the same day.

Immediately after the failure to pass the CR in Congress, the Democratic leadership sent a letter to President Trump requesting a meeting, but President Trump rejected it on the 23rd via social media (SNS), stating, "I have decided that any meeting with the Democratic leadership cannot be productive."

However, President Trump left the door open for dialogue, saying, "I will meet them if they become serious about the future of the country. I will gladly meet them if they agree to the principles of this letter."

Republicans are of the stance that they should pass a "clean CR," which maintains the current spending levels for government agencies, to buy time for the budget process and negotiations for the 2026 fiscal year.

Democrats, however, oppose this, arguing for the extension of subsidies for Obamacare (ACA - Affordable Care Act), among other things.

In response, President Trump has warned that if a government shutdown occurs, he will lay off a large number of federal employees in departments and agencies that do not align with his national policy priorities, and the positions of both sides remain at a stalemate.

Yonhap News