SHUTDOWN COUNTDOWN: The Big Four Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress head to the White House to meet with President Trump at 3 p.m. today in the hope of reaching a budget deal to avert a partial government shutdown after Friday. The outcome is also crucial for the defense budget. Lawmakers are eyeing a two-week stopgap measure to keep the government running until Dec. 22, but have yet to reach an agreement on raising a $549 billion Budget Control Act cap on defense spending as well as a cap on non-defense spending.

There is no mood in Congress for another expensive and disruptive shutdown, but when asked yesterday about the prospect, Trump said, “It could happen.” Speaking at the top of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, the president claimed Democrats “are really looking at something that is very dangerous for our country. They are looking at shutting down.”