Government shutdown looms ahead of a high-stakes White House meeting

President Donald Trump will meet with congressional leaders on Monday to discuss whether the federal government shuts down later this week.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with the top four congressional leaders Monday in a high-stakes sit-down at the White House that could determine whether the federal government shuts down this week.

Funding is set to run out at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday unless Trump and leaders on Capitol Hill can reach an eleventh-hour agreement.

The Democratic leaders of the House and the Senate, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, both of New York, as well as their Republican counterparts, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, are expected to attend.

The standoff represents a test of wills between the parties, with Republicans determined to flex their muscle after they won full control of the government last year, while Democrats face a restive base and see a rare opportunity to advance health care policy goals, like extending key Obamacare subsidies.

Six months ago, Democrats caved in to a GOP-written funding bill, but they insist that won’t happen again unless they have a say in the final legislative product.