Oval Office Talks Set for Monday as Government Funding Deadline LoomsSen. Chuck SchumerPresident Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday, a critical assembly as the deadline for a potential government shutdown draws near. The high-stakes meeting, confirmed by White House and congressional officials to the Tampa Free Press, will bring together leaders from both parties as time runs out to pass a spending bill. Expected attendees include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD, along with their Democratic counterparts, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. The meeting announcement comes after President Trump abruptly canceled a planned discussion with Democratic leaders last Thursday, reportedly at the urging of Johnson and Thune, dismissing Democratic demands as “unserious and ridiculous.”In a joint statement released Saturday evening, the Democratic leaders acknowledged the renewed invitation. The urgency of the situation was underscored this week when the White House Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to prepare mass firing plans in the event of a shutdown.