Congressman Tim Walberg talks potential federal government shutdown

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --  Michigan's 5th District Republican Congressman Tim Walberg spoke with ABC57's Dante Stanton Monday about an impending government shutdown. 

If the U.S. senate is unable to pass the national budget for the 2026 fiscal year by 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, October 1st, the government will shut down. 

A shutdown could lead to temporary closures for national parks, federal employees losing their jobs, delays for Medicaid recipients and much more. 

Congressman Walberg says he wants Democrats to focus on passing a 50-day negotiating period that would keep the government funded through November 21st. 

While Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they need 60 votes in the Senate to pass the short-term funding bill, meaning they need Democrats to vote for the stop-gap as well. 

"I've come to understand that shutdowns don't work. In the end, they come back to a worse solution for the shutdown party than they would've had they moved forward in negotiations. And that's going to happen here as well." said Walberg. 

President Trump met with party leaders from both sides Monday to discuss how to avoid the shutdown, but details of that meeting have yet to be shared.