WASHINGTON — The United States government is barreling toward its first shutdown in six years, with lawmakers locked in a bitter stalemate over healthcare spending and no sign of compromise before the Tuesday midnight deadline.

A Looming Deadline

Congress’s Republican majority has advanced legislation to fund the government through 21 November, arguing that it buys time for longer-term negotiations. But Democrats have refused to support the measure unless it includes key concessions on healthcare. Without an agreement, federal agencies are preparing to shutter doors, and hundreds of thousands of workers could be furloughed starting Wednesday morning.

President Donald Trump convened congressional leaders at the White House on Monday evening in a last-ditch effort to avoid the crisis. But Vice President JD Vance emerged from the talks grim-faced.

“I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing,” he told reporters.

The Democratic Demands

Democrats are pressing for the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. They also want Republican-proposed cuts to Medicaid and public broadcasting programs rolled back.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he made the case directly to Trump in the Oval Office. “For the first time, he seemed to understand the magnitude of this crisis,”

Schumer noted. “If he will accept some of the things we ask, which we think the American people are for, on healthcare and on rescissions, he can avoid a shutdown. But there are still large differences between us.”

Democrats argue that without an extension, millions of Americans will face steep increases in insurance premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. “The cost of living is already too high,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said over the weekend.

“The Republican cuts would only make it worse.”

Republicans Hold Firm

Republican leaders, however, show no signs of budging. They accuse Democrats of exploiting the situation for political gain. “This is purely and simply hostage-taking on behalf of the Democrats,”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

House Republicans narrowly passed their short-term funding bill along party lines, but the legislation now faces certain obstacles in the Senate, where at least eight Democrats would need to cross the aisle for it to pass.

Republicans insist their proposal is a “clean” bill that contains no partisan riders. “We’re operating completely in good faith,” Speaker Mike Johnson said. “This is about keeping the government open while we continue the real negotiations.”

Fallout and Blame

If no agreement is reached, the Office of Management and Budget has already instructed agencies to prepare contingency plans, including mass layoffs and furloughs as part of Trump’s broader effort to reduce government bureaucracy.

The political consequences are also looming large. A Morning Consult poll released Monday found that 45% of voters would blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown, compared with 32% who would fault Democrats.

With the deadline now just hours away, Washington remains on edge. The question is no longer whether a shutdown could happen, but whether either side is willing to make concessions before the clock strikes midnight.