Government shutdown looms as September 30 deadline nears

With just days left before the September 30 funding deadline, the U.S. government is on the brink of a shutdown.

(NBC)- With just days left before the September 30 funding deadline, the U.S. government is on the brink of a shutdown.

President Trump warned, “I think you could very well end up with a closed country for a period of time.” His administration has raised the stakes, threatening not just unpaid leave but permanent job losses for federal employees in programs deemed inconsistent with the president’s priorities.

The move drew sharp criticism from Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “intimidation,” adding, “Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one not to govern but to scare. This has nothing to do with funding the government.”

A shutdown would ripple far beyond Washington, halting pay for military personnel, postal workers, and national park staff across the country.

At the heart of the standoff is healthcare funding. Democrats are pushing to extend Affordable Care Act coverage and reverse cuts to Medicaid. “Eight words, not difficult for Donald Trump to process: Cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Republicans argue the Democratic plan is too costly. Senator John Thune told CNN, “This is not the time or the place to do this. They’re asking for hundreds of billions of dollars of additional spending.”

Talks that were expected at the White House collapsed after Trump canceled, writing on Truth Social: “I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive.”

Representative Robert Garcia accused the president of pushing for a shutdown, saying, “Donald Trump wants a shutdown. He wants to be king. He has no interest anymore in governance or working with Congress.”

With neither side backing down, millions of federal workers and Americans who rely on government services are bracing for the fallout.