Barbara Sprunt is a producer on NPR's Washington desk, where she reports and produces breaking news and feature political content. She formerly produced the NPR Politics Podcast and got her start in radio at as an intern on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered and Tell Me More with Michel Martin. She is an alumnus of the Paul Miller Reporting Fellowship at the National Press Foundation. She is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania native.
After canceling an earlier meeting, President Trump met with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders on Monday. Lawmakers have until the end of the day on Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
The government is just days away from shutting down if Congress can't reach a deal. President Trump upped the stakes, threatening large-scale layoffs if Democrats don't provide the necessary votes.