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Congressional leaders leave White House with no deal to avoid shutdown

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  Published in House and Home on Monday, September 29th 2025 at 19:01 GMT by Associated Press
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Congressional Leaders Leave White House Without a Deal, Leaving the Government on the Brink of a Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 25, 2025 — In a dramatic and tense showdown at the White House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson departed the Oval Office without a binding agreement to keep the federal government open for the next fiscal quarter. The failure to reach a deal on a short‑term funding measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), has left lawmakers racing against time to avert a full‑scale shutdown that could cripple essential services nationwide.

The Meeting That Never Worked

The meeting, which took place in the late afternoon of Monday, was the third face‑to‑face effort in the last 18 days to craft a compromise after President Joe Biden’s administration warned that a failure to pass any form of appropriations bill would force the federal government to shut down on May 1. Schumer and Johnson arrived with a slate of demands, but the White House had set a hard line: “We will not sign any short‑term fix that allows Congress to spend more money without accountability,” the President’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, said in a brief statement released after the meeting.

During the negotiations, the House and Senate leaders were forced to confront several high‑stakes differences. Johnson’s House, which now holds a narrow majority in the chamber, pushed for a “no‑new‑money” CR that would keep the status quo for 60 days, thereby giving lawmakers time to negotiate a full‑budget bill. Schumer, representing a Senate that still leans Democratic but faces significant opposition from Republicans who want to cut certain domestic programs, favored a more expansive approach that would allow the government to function while also addressing fiscal deficits through reconciliation mechanisms.

The two sides repeatedly turned back on each other over key points: the size of the CR, the scope of funding for military and domestic programs, and the timing of a subsequent “fiscal 2025” budget plan. Both parties acknowledged that any compromise would need to incorporate a mechanism to address the 5 billion‑dollar shortfall the federal government faces after the last appropriations cycle ran out of money.

White House’s “Last Stand” and the President’s Warning

President Biden, who entered the meeting with a “supply‑chain crisis” briefing and a copy of the Fiscal Responsibility Act that the administration had drafted, made it clear that he would not sign any CR that didn’t meet his “fiscal discipline” criteria. “I am not willing to sign a short‑term fix that would keep the government open without a plan for sustainable funding,” Biden said to the room’s echoing silence. He also reiterated his pledge to veto any “pro‑budget” bill that lacked transparency in how federal money is allocated.

The White House, meanwhile, argued that the urgency of keeping essential services running – such as food‑stamp delivery, Medicare, and national defense – required immediate action. “We cannot afford to shut down the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security, or the FBI,” a senior White House aide told reporters after the meeting. “But we also cannot create a fiscal hole that will force Congress to take a more radical approach later.”

This clash of priorities underscores a deeper rift: while the administration seeks to balance the budget, the House and Senate are focused on securing a short‑term bridge that preserves the current funding levels for key programs. The result, the meeting ended with no agreement and the two sides walking out with a heavy sense of urgency.

The Road Ahead: A Race Against Time

With the deadline looming, lawmakers have set the clock in motion. Johnson has announced that the House will convene a special committee session in the next 48 hours to debate the CR, while Schumer has indicated that the Senate will do the same. The next step will likely be a vote in both chambers on a “no‑new‑money” CR that could keep the federal government open until a full budget is adopted.

If both chambers fail to agree, the White House is prepared to invoke the National Emergencies Act and declare a partial shutdown – a scenario that would bring a wave of uncertainty to millions of Americans. A full shutdown would mean that non‑essential federal employees would be furloughed, certain agencies would be forced to reduce operations, and a range of services, from federal courts to public housing, could be disrupted.

The Congressional leaders’ failure to reach an accord also raises the stakes for the Fiscal Responsibility Act that the administration has been pushing. If the CR is not passed, President Biden’s team may be forced to seek a different legislative path – potentially involving a budget reconciliation package that could cut across partisan lines but also risk stalling in a Senate that is still divided on fiscal priorities.

Historical Context and Implications

This confrontation is not the first time that the federal government has teetered on the brink. The most recent shutdown in 2018‑19, which lasted 35 days, cost the federal government an estimated 15 billion dollars and left 800,000 federal workers furloughed. The 2019 shutdown was the last major standoff in which the White House and Congress failed to reach a compromise in a timely fashion.

Historically, a “no‑new‑money” CR has been the go‑to solution when both sides want to maintain the status quo while pushing for a longer‑term agreement. However, such a measure can create uncertainty in the markets and among agencies that rely on steady funding streams. Moreover, the 2025 fiscal year will involve complex budgetary negotiations, with Congress required to decide on funding for a range of programs – from infrastructure to climate initiatives – while also addressing the $3.5 trillion debt ceiling crisis that has been a long‑standing point of contention.

Voices from the Room

When asked why the meeting fell apart, Speaker Johnson admitted that “the Senate has a different view of how we should address the deficit.” He added that the House is “ready to move forward with a short‑term fix, but we’re not willing to compromise on critical programs.”

Senate Leader Schumer echoed this sentiment, saying, “We’re ready to sign a CR that maintains essential services, but we can’t do it at the expense of fiscal responsibility.” He also hinted at a “possible compromise” that would involve “clearly defined timelines for addressing the budget deficit.”

The White House’s spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We’re committed to keeping the government open and ensuring that essential services remain operational. We just can’t agree on a path that would jeopardize our long‑term fiscal health.”

Bottom Line

The failed negotiation between congressional leaders and the White House has left the United States in a precarious position. With the next federal funding deadline fast approaching, lawmakers must now rush to secure a continuing resolution that will keep the federal government open while avoiding a full shutdown. Failure to do so could usher in a crisis that will ripple across the country, from federal employees to citizens relying on essential services. The coming days will test the political resolve and willingness to compromise of both the House and the Senate, as they race to avoid another costly standoff that could shake the nation’s confidence in its democratic institutions.