Payam Javan: President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that he is willing to meet with Democratic leaders only if they agree to reopen the federal government by passing a Republican-led stopgap funding measure. The standoff, now entering its fourth week, continues to disrupt government operations after appropriations bills for the 2026 fiscal year failed to pass, triggering the first major shutdown of Trump’s second term.

Trump’s comments came in response to outreach from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who have offered to meet “anytime, any place.” However, the president’s insistence on reopening the government before discussions resume has deepened the impasse. While essential services such as national security remain active, thousands of federal employees have been furloughed, with the White House estimating billions in economic losses from halted productivity and delayed public services.

At the heart of the shutdown is a dispute over Democratic efforts to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that expire on December 31. Democrats argue that the subsidies, expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, have lowered health care costs for over 20 million Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, dismiss the measure as an unrelated “rider” that obstructs government funding, though they say they are open to separate talks on ACA reform once the shutdown ends.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has proposed a longer-term continuing resolution to allow time for full budget negotiations, while Sen. Susan Collins acknowledged that Republicans may need to extend the stopgap measure further. With ten failed attempts to advance the House-passed CR and no Democratic defections yet, the shutdown’s ripple effects are mounting—threatening FEMA disaster relief, delaying federal court operations, and straining state Medicaid and infrastructure programs.