Chuck Schumer Expresses Desire for Funding Agreement, Immediately Implies Trump Will Ruin It

Schumer Talks Bipartisan Deals Amidst Shutdown Concerns

On Sunday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer expressed that bipartisan agreements to prevent government shutdowns remain achievable, but he criticized President Donald Trump for complicating discussions before they even begin.

Schumer is steadfastly against government funding measures that don’t incorporate over $1 trillion in Democratic priorities. During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he mentioned that he reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Friday and welcomed the White House’s initiative to hold a leadership meeting on Monday, just a day prior to the expiration of current federal funds.

“I called John Thune on a Friday afternoon and said, ‘Let’s sit down.’ The only way forward is to include the President in this,” Schumer remarked.

However, he cautioned that if Trump uses the meeting to voice personal grievances, it could derail the planned discussions. “It depends on Republicans, you know? The meeting is just a starting point; it requires serious negotiations. If the President comes in and just complains, it won’t lead to anything fruitful,” he added.

Schumer expressed hope for Congress to create a deal that ensures the government remains operational. “I want to see serious negotiations. I’ve heard Thune mention that they didn’t shut down the government when they were in the minority, so let’s see what can be negotiated,” he said.

Trump had previously canceled discussions with leading Democrats, claiming that Republicans were unwilling to meet what he called “absurd demands.” Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries had sought a meeting through a joint letter, but Trump seemed skeptical about reaching a consensus on his terms.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that the meeting might be “productive” while accusing Democrats of failing to understand the implications of losing the election. Although he seemed supportive of Schumer and Jeffries meeting, he conceded, “I don’t believe it would change much.”

Senate Democrats have blocked Republican funding bills, with only Sen. John Fetterman supporting them. Trump has criticized Democrats for proposing a counter-suspension bill estimated to cost nearly $1.5 trillion to keep the government funded for just four weeks.

He also attacked the plan to secure a long-term extension of GOP Medicaid reforms that were previously enacted under a major bill, opposing it against the Affordable Care Act subsidies introduced during the Biden administration. Additionally, the proposal seeks to restore foreign aid and public broadcasting funds that had been cut by Republicans earlier in the year.