President Donald Trump is meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Washington today, September 15th, 2025. The meeting was confirmed via a social media post from the Wid_Lyman account. This meeting occurs as House Republicans are working to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown by the September 30th deadline. The proposed CR aims to fund the government through November 20th, but faces internal opposition from some Republicans who are demanding spending cuts. Democrats maintain that no substantive negotiations are occurring, placing responsibility for a potential shutdown on the Republican party. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are preparing for a vote on a resolution to confirm presidential nominations in groups. In other news, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to advocate against redistricting in California, according to a report from Politico. Separately, FBI Director Kash Patel previously confirmed that DNA evidence from the murder investigation of Charlie Kirk matched Tyler Robinson. The administration is also expected to finalize a TikTok deal, with President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping slated to speak on September 19th. Previous reports also noted concerns from Republican senators regarding the administration's approach to Russia sanctions and statements from Representative Tim Burchett about leadership unresponsiveness to security concerns.
