WASHINGTON (Oct. 21) — As the government shutdown enters its fourth week, President Donald Trump welcomed Senate Republicans for lunch at the White House. However, the gathering was not for urgent talks on ending the shutdown but rather a celebratory display of unity, as they continue to refuse negotiations on Democratic demands for health care funds.
Trump praised GOP leaders by name during the event. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats expressed confidence in their strategy to keep voting against a House-passed bill aimed at reopening the government until Trump and other Republicans agree to engage with them. Democrats are pushing to extend health care subsidies that are set to expire. Trump responded that he would discuss health care — but only after the government reopens.
### Impact on Federal Programs and Workers
Head Start programs for preschoolers are scrambling for federal funds, and the federal agency responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile has begun furloughing its 1,400 employees. Thousands of other federal workers are going without paychecks as the shutdown wears on.
Despite these challenges, President Trump painted a different picture of the situation during the luncheon held in the newly renovated Rose Garden Club. With the ongoing construction of the new White House ballroom providing a backdrop, Trump portrayed an America united under GOP leadership that refuses to yield to Democratic demands.
“We have the hottest country anywhere in the world, which tells you about leadership,” Trump said, extolling the renovations as senators took their seats on the newly paved patio, transformed from a garden space.
### A Festive Atmosphere Amidst Shutdown
The atmosphere was surprisingly festive under crisp but sunny autumn skies. Senators enjoyed cheeseburgers, fries, and chocolates while Trump’s favored songs “YMCA” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” played over the new sound system.
While Trump acknowledged that the shutdown must come to an end and hinted that Smithsonian museums might reopen soon, he made clear that no quick compromise on health care funding was forthcoming.
Later at another White House event, Trump reiterated his willingness to discuss health care with Democrats — but only after the shutdown concludes. “The government has to be open,” he said.
### Shutdown Drags Into Record Books
As the shutdown extends into its fourth week, it is on track to become one of the longest in U.S. history. Millions of Americans are bracing for health care sticker shock, and many are feeling the financial impact firsthand.
Economists warn that the federal closure — leaving nearly 2.3 million employees working without pay — will reduce economic growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points per week.
Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, reached out to the White House seeking a meeting with President Trump before his upcoming overseas trip to Asia.
“We said we’ll set up an appointment with him anytime, anyplace before he leaves,” Schumer said.
### Republicans Stand Firm
With Republicans controlling Congress, Democrats have limited options. They plan to keep the Senate in session late into Wednesday night as a form of protest. The House, meanwhile, has remained closed for weeks.
Republican senators left the White House lunch equipped with gifts of Trump caps and medallions but maintained there was nothing to negotiate regarding health care funds until the government reopens.
“People keep saying ‘negotiate,’ negotiate what?” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after the hour-long meeting. He added that Republicans and the president are open to discussions over health care “but open up the government first.”
### Missed Paychecks and Funding Shortfalls
As Capitol Hill remains at a standstill, the effects of the shutdown worsen. Federal workers face additional missed paychecks amid uncertainty about when they might eventually receive pay. Vital government services, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Head Start preschool programs serving needy families, face potential funding cutoffs.
On Monday, Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced that the National Nuclear Security Administration had begun furloughing its federal employees.
Economists, including those at Goldman Sachs and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), warn that the closure’s economic ripple effects will continue. Oxford Economics estimates that the shutdown reduces economic growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points weekly.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that the Small Business Administration supports loans totaling approximately $860 million per week for about 1,600 small businesses — programs that will be closed to new loans during the shutdown.
Additionally, the shutdown has halted the issuance and renewal of flood insurance policies, delaying mortgage closings and real estate transactions.
### Rising Health Care Costs Loom
Without congressional action, millions of Americans face soaring health care costs. Enhanced federal subsidies that help people buy private insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are set to expire on Dec. 31.
These subsidies, provided as tax credits and bolstered during the COVID-19 crisis, are critical to keeping many premiums affordable.
Insurance companies are already sending out information about the new rates for the coming year ahead of open enrollment periods.
According to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, most U.S. adults are concerned about rising health care costs as they prepare to make decisions about next year’s coverage.
Both parties acknowledge that time is running out to prevent sharp premium increases. Talks over possible extensions or modifications to ACA funding are quietly underway.
Democrats particularly emphasize the urgency of Nov. 1 — the start of next year’s ACA enrollment period — when millions will select coverage without expanded subsidy assistance. Once enrollment begins, they say, restoring subsidies would become significantly more difficult, even with a bipartisan deal.
### What About Trump?
Tuesday’s White House lunch offered Republican senators an opportunity to engage with President Trump on the shutdown, after weeks during which his focus had been mainly on foreign policy and other issues.
However, senators described the meeting as more of a luncheon than a substantive discussion. They noted they could hear, but not see, the nearby ballroom construction underway.
Earlier in the shutdown, Trump indicated some willingness to negotiate on health care, giving Democrats hope of capturing his attention.
Still, the president later clarified he would only be open to such talks once the government fully reopened.
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Matt Brown, Will Weissert, and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2025/10/trump-hosts-senate-republicans-at-renovated-white-house-as-the-shutdown-drags-into-fourth-week/