Ahead of a meeting between US lawmakers and President Donald Trump, the Republican leaders of Congress sought on Sunday to blame Democrats for an impasse prior to a looming deadline to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown and urged them to agree to a short-term bill to buy some time.

Without passage of funding legislation, parts of the government would close on Wednesday, the first day of the US government's 2026 fiscal year. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but a temporary measure keeping the government open would have to amass at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate, meaning some Democratic votes would be needed.

But so far, Senate Democrats have rejected a short-term bill, demanding that any legislation undo recent Republican cuts to healthcare programs.

The Republican president has summoned congressional leaders from both parties to a White House sitdown on Monday to discuss funding legislation.

Trump told Reuters on Sunday that he believes Democrats want to reach an agreement.

"If they don't make a deal, the country closes," Trump said in a phone interview. "So I get the impression they want to do something."

Earlier in the day, Republican congressional leaders said they are eager to avert a shutdown.

Republican Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives, called on Democrats to support a stopgap measure that would fund the government through November 21 while allowing appropriators to continue to hammer out spending bills.

"The only thing we are trying to do is buy a little time," Johnson said on CNN's "State of the Union" program on Sunday. "We need a serious negotiation,"

Chuck Schumer, the Senate's leading Democrat, told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "Now, if the president at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and say this, that and the other thing, we won't get anything done."

The federal government is on the brink of its 15th partial shutdown since 1981 because lawmakers have failed to agree on a plan for discretionary funding – the money that is allocated through the annual congressional budgeting process – for the new fiscal year, or about one-quarter of the US$7 trillion US budget.

If Congress does not act, thousands of federal government workers could be furloughed, from Nasa to the national parks, and a wide range of services would be disrupted.

Federal courts might have to close and grants for small businesses could be delayed.

Johnson called demands by the Democrats "outrageous," saying government workers and people who rely on government services will suffer.

"It's fine to have partisan debates and squabbles, but you don’t hold the people hostage for their services," Johnson said. (Reuters)