Trump says talks with Democrats on health care amid shutdown

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that his administration is "speaking with the Democrats" about healthcare as part of efforts to end the federal government shutdown, a claim senior congressional Democrats denied even as they said they would be willing to negotiate if talks begin. The shutdown began last Wednesday after the Senate failed for a fifth time to advance a Republican short-term funding measure, and the impasse stretched into a second week with no clear breakthrough.

Trump said discussions with Democrats could produce "very good things" for health care and signaled he remained open to talks while warning the shutdown, if prolonged, could trigger layoffs of federal employees. The White House press secretary declined to confirm whether the president had spoken directly with Democratic senators. Trump later posted that he would be willing to work with Democrats but urged them to allow the government to reopen first.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued statements refuting the president's claim that such negotiations were underway. Schumer said the assertion "is not true" but added that...