The Democratic leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, are renewing pressure on Republican lawmakers to discuss a looming end-September deadline to avoid a government shutdown, just days before the lawmakers return to Washington from their extended summer recess.

Schumer and Jeffries sent a letter on August 4 to Republican leaders asking them to schedule a meeting “immediately” to discuss a path to an interim federal budget deal to avert a government shutdown after September 30, but have not received a response.

The “September 30 funding deadline” in 2025 refers to the expiration of a continuing resolution that funds the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2025.

Without new appropriations bills or other temporary measures by this date, the federal government faces a shutdown.

On Wednesday, the two renewed their request in a press release quoting the letter sent that day to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican leader John Thune, asking them to convene a meeting of the “Big Four” leaders. next week. It is his second request for such a meeting. Schumer and Jeffries want a “four-way” negotiation between top party leaders in each chamber to reach an agreement on a stopgap federal budget measure that would give lawmakers more time to finish work on annual appropriations bills. It is “imperative that we meet immediately upon our return to Congress next week to discuss the need to avoid a painful and unnecessary disruption of government funding and address the health care crisis that Republicans have unleashed on America,”wrote Schumer and Jeffries.

Democratic leaders are especially concerned about the impending expiration of enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare.

These subsidies have reduced premium payments by about $705 per enrollee per year, according to KFF, a health policy research group.

They also warn that nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, included in the One Big Beautiful Bill, will force hospitals to close across the country.

Democratic leaders are warning their Republican counterparts not to repeat what they did in March, when House Republicans packed the Senate by sending a partisan continuing resolution that passed the House with only one Democrat voting in favor.

“The problem of government funding must be solved in a bipartisan way. That is the only viable path,” wrote Schumer and Jeffries.

“It is long past time for them to unveil their plans to meet the needs of the American people. Otherwise, it is clear they have completely abandoned bipartisanship and are preparing to shut down the government,” Schumer and Jeffries warned.

Schumer and some other Senate Democrats reluctantly voted for the measure in March to avert a government shutdown, but this time, Democrats are warning they will not budge on a Republican-drafted stopgap funding measure.

Now, Congress is just weeks away from a September 30 government shutdown deadline, and Congressional leaders remain far from a deal.