GOP leaders, fighting to save their majorities in Congress, have been impressing upon the president their belief that the House could be lost if Republicans shut the government down so close to Election Day. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo GOP congressional leaders to meet with Trump on Wednesday

Congressional GOP leaders will meet with President Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon, the latest in an ongoing lobbying effort to convince the president not to shutter the government before Election Day, according to multiple sources.

Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise will head to the White House to brief the president on the GOP spending strategy.


The federal government’s fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, just a few weeks before the critical midterm elections. But Trump has threatened to veto any spending measures that don’t include $5 billion for his border wall with Mexico.

With Senate Democrats loath to give in without their own immigration concessions, GOP leaders have set in motion a plan to delay the funding fight over border security until after the election. But Trump has sent mixed signals about whether or not he will go along.

GOP leaders, fighting to save their majorities in Congress, have been impressing upon the president their belief that the House could be lost if Republicans shut the government down so close to Election Day. There are some factions in the White House, however, that believe the House is already lost and that the president should fight on for his own priorities while he still can.

