All right, let's now get to top congressional leaders who are at the White House at this hour. Uh, as the president and Republicans as well as Democrats are meeting, but they seem to be playing a game of chicken right here with less than 36 hours to go until we are told of a full government shutdown is likely. The vice president saying that in just the last few minutes.You don't put a gun to the American people's head and say unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we're going ...

Let's get right to MSNBC White House correspondent Von Hillyard, MSNBC's senior Capitol Hill correspondent and host of Way Too Early, Ali Vatitali, along with our MSNBC political analyst Brendan Buck, former aid to House Speakers Paul Ryan and John Boehner, and former Democratic Congresswoman Donna Edwards. Lots to discuss here. Van, kick us off. In addition to these two big meetings today, the president has also just announced another round of steep tariffs. Take us through this day. >> Right. It's a heck ...

With just two days left to fund the government, President Trump is playing the blame game. In a new memo this week, Trump slammed Democrats for blocking the GOP's short-term funding bill and threatened to fire thousands of federal workers if the government shuts down on October 1st. Before the clock runs out, Trump will meet with the top four congressional leaders, Senate Majority Leader John Thun, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakee Jeff tomorro ...

Government Shutdown & Budget Concerns - The US government faces a potential shutdown due to disagreements on the spending bill [1] - The White House is considering mass firings across government agencies if a deal isn't reached [1] - Democrats and Republicans are in disagreement on budget priorities, particularly regarding healthcare [1] Healthcare Debate - Democrats accuse Republicans of cutting healthcare to fund tax breaks for the wealthy [1] - Republicans are allegedly undermining the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and rural healthcare funding [1] - Proposed cuts could severely impact rural hospitals, with potential closures already occurring [1] - Medicaid is crucial for many families, especially those with disabled members, and cuts would cause significant hardship [8] Political Standoff - Democrats claim Republicans are unwilling to negotiate or even meet to discuss the budget [2][3][7] - The administration's actions are perceived as punishing the American people [4][5] - There is internal frustration within the Democratic party regarding Senate leadership [9] - House Democrats claim to be unified in their fight against healthcare cuts [10]

Joining us now is David Ducker, senior writer at The Dispatch and an MSNBC contributor. Basil Michael is former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party and an MSNBC analyst. So, eight words, David.Cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthare. Is that the slogan that's going to give Democrats an advantage over Trump and the Republicans because this fight is looking to get messy. Yeah, that's doubtful.Uh, Americans don't like government shutdowns. They think they're an illegitimate form o ...

Government Funding & Potential Shutdown - A potential government shutdown looms as government funding is set to expire on September 30th [1][2] - President Trump cancelled a planned meeting with top congressional Democratic leaders due to disagreements over funding proposals [1] - Democrats are pushing to preserve the ACA incentives and Medicaid, turning the debate into a healthcare discussion [4][5] - Democrats feel grassroots pressure to resist, viewing current government actions as harmful [11] - The party in power typically gets blamed for a shutdown, creating unusual dynamics this time [7] Political Strategies & Dynamics - Democrats aim to leverage the shutdown situation to highlight healthcare affordability issues [5][6] - Democrats can pressure Republicans, who control the House, Senate, and White House, to maintain government operations [8] - Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces pressure and scrutiny in New York, impacting his negotiation stance [9][10] - Democrats may be willing to "go down fighting" for healthcare, considering it a key issue for the midterms [14] Challenges & Uncertainties - There is no clear strategy for resolving a government shutdown once it begins [12] - Democrats have limited leverage in Congress due to not controlling the House and Senate [13]

The Shanghai-based insurer will use the proceeds for developing its business, including initiatives in health care and elderly care https://t.co/BksvxZuqrX ...

Politics & Policy - Senator Booker criticizes President Trump's unilateral strike against a Venezuelan boat, deeming it an overreach of presidential authority and a violation of the rule of law [2][3][4] - Senator Booker calls for HHS Secretary Kennedy's resignation due to policies making healthcare inaccessible and attacking science-based health decisions [6][7][8] - Senator Booker expresses willingness to work with anyone, including Secretary Kennedy, to improve access to healthy food, but criticizes the Trump administration for harming Americans' health [9][10][11][12][13][14] - Senator Booker advocates for bipartisan action in Congress to ensure accountability and transparency regarding Jeffrey Epstein's case, criticizing Trump's handling of the situation [16][17][18] - Senator Booker states he will fight for Americans' priorities in the budget and blames Republicans for a potential government shutdown, criticizing President Trump's lack of bipartisanship and disregard for constitutional bounds [19][20][21][22] Social Issues - Senator Booker highlights the issue of food access disparities, noting that residents in Newark, New Jersey, struggle to access nutritious foods while being exposed to highly processed foods [12][13]

On paper, Susan Collins Senate seat would seem like a relatively easy pickup for Democrats in the midterms if she had not proven such a formidable opponent in Maine. Since she was elected in 1996, Collins has trounced every single challenger that has come her way. And in her last campaign in 2020, she beat Democratic opponent Sarah Gideon by more than eight percentage points, while Donald Donald Trump lost Maine by more than nine points.Already a slate of Democrats have stepped up. Each believing they can u ...

>> Welcome back to Squawk Box. >> Joining us right now, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. There is so much to talk to you about this morning, about everything that's going on in Washington, about the BLS, the fed.We could talk about Nvidia Democratic Party, but I want to start with this. And by the way, mea culpa on me too. So but I'm curious where you land.For the last several months, the Democratic Party, for the most part, has been publicly suggesting that because of these tariffs that the economy w ...