Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) sent a letter to Republican leaders Monday demanding a “Big Four” leadership meeting this week to discuss how to avoid a government shutdown next month.
The Democratic leaders advised Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that they have “the responsibility to govern for all Americans and work on a bipartisan basis to avert a painful, unnecessary shutdown at the end of September.”
“Yet it is clear that the Trump Administration and many within your party are preparing to ‘go it alone’ and continue to legislate on a solely Republican basis,” they wrote.
The Democratic leaders noted that they are willing to work with Republicans on a bipartisan basis, and pointed to a package of appropriations bills that passed the Senate last week with a strong bipartisan majority to fund military construction, the Departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, and the legislative branch.
“We request you swiftly convene a so-called Big Four meeting this week, for the four of us to discuss the government funding deadline and the health care crisis you have visited upon the American people. We anticipate your prompt reply,” they wrote.
Government funding will expire on Sept. 30 and President Trump has yet to sign any of the annual funding bills for fiscal year 2026 into law. Lawmakers say they expect Congress will need to pass a stop-gap funding measure next month to avoid a shutdown.
Democrats want a pledge from Republicans that if they agree to pass government funding legislation, they would not work with the Trump administration to pass another rescissions package, such as the measure passed last month that clawed back $9 billion in previously appropriated funding and defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Schumer and Jeffries are also pressing for the administration to release previously allocated funding it has held up
Trump said in a post on Truth Social Saturday that Schumer demanded funded concessions from the White House during negotiations on a deal to speed up the president’s stalled executive branch nominees.
Thune, the Senate majority leader, last week declined to say whether he’s ready to enter into a negotiation between Senate and House leaders from both parties, telling reporters that he would wait to see how things played out in the weeks ahead.
“To be determined,” Thune said when asked if he’s willing to enter into a “four corners” negotiation with the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House and the Speaker.
“A lot of that depends on how cooperative the Democrats are in trying to get the appropriations process moving forward,” he said. “All options are on the table when it comes to funding the government.
“What I can tell you is we’re going to look for ways to keep the government funded, open and operating,” he said.
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