US Vice President J.D. Vance said Monday that the government is headed for a shutdown after President Donald Trump ended a meeting with Democrats at the White House without significant progress, signaling a government shutdown that could disrupt a wide range of services.

Each side sought to blame the other for the potential failure of Congress to extend government funding beyond the midnight deadline on Tuesday (4 a.m. GMT Wednesday).

Democrats say any extension agreement must also preserve health benefits that are about to expire, while Republicans insist on treating health and government funding as separate issues.

Following a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders, Vance condemned what he described as “a gun pointed at the heads of Americans by Democrats” through their demands to avoid the shutdown.

In contrast, Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed after the meeting that “there are significant differences” with Republicans to avoid a federal government paralysis before the Tuesday night deadline.

Schumer said, “We presented the president with some proposals ultimately; he will make the decisions.”

House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said there are still “significant and important differences” between the two sides to avoid the “shutdown.”

Before the meeting, President Trump criticized the Democrats, emphasizing that they need to “do some things because their ideas are not very good,” adding that these ideas are “very bad for our country.”

On Monday morning, Jeffries told reporters in Congress (House and Senate) that Democrats are “ready” to find a solution and reach a budget agreement to avoid federal agency shutdowns, but he noted that the agreement must “meet Americans’ needs regarding their health, security, and economic well-being.”

Without congressional approval of legislation ensuring funding for federal agencies before midnight Tuesday, the government will face a shutdown that could plunge Washington into a new political crisis.

If Congress does not act, thousands of federal employees could be furloughed, a wide range of services disrupted, federal courts may close, and grants to small businesses could be delayed.

With about 36 hours remaining, both parties insist on their positions amid increasing risks of a shutdown.

Budget confrontations have become somewhat routine in Washington over the past 15 years, often resolved at the last minute, but Trump’s willingness to override or ignore spending laws passed by Congress has added a new dimension of uncertainty.

The issue involves an “estimated” $1.7 trillion in spending to fund government agency operations, which equals a quarter of the total government budget of $7 trillion.

A large portion of the remaining amount goes to health programs, retirement, and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.

There have been 14 partial government shutdowns since 1981, most lasting only a few days.

The last shutdown was the longest, lasting 35 days in 2018 and 2019 due to a dispute over immigration during Trump’s first term.

Healthcare is the issue this time, and nearly 24 million Americans who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act will see cost increases if Congress does not extend the temporary tax exemptions set to expire at the end of this year.

The White House threatens to furlough large numbers of civilian employees, instead of the usual approach of withholding their pay until an agreement is reached.

Republicans have proposed extending current funding until late November, pending negotiations on a longer-term spending plan.

But Democrats, who do not hold a majority in either chamber of Congress, are trying to extract some concessions, especially since passing budget legislation requires the approval of 60 of the 100 Senate members.