Government shutdown updates: Leavitt says Trump exploring cutting aid to Portland

Federal government employees who oversee firings will be allowed to continue working during a government shutdown, the Office of Personnel Management said in a memo Monday.

The guidance appears to pave the way for the Trump administration to follow through on plans to lay off federal workers if the government shuts down.

In another change in policy from past shutdowns, furloughed federal employees will be able to use government-issued computers -- to check for emails announcing layoffs, OPM said in the memo. In past shutdowns, furloughed workers have been prohibited from using official laptops for any reason.

-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel

Vice President JD Vance said Monday the government appears headed for a shutdown on Wednesday “because Democrats won’t do the right thing.”

Congressional leaders from both parties met with Trump at the White House Monday but left without a deal to extend funding past the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline with both sides blaming the other for the stalemate.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that "large differences" remain -- particularly on health care.

House Speaker Mike Johnson accused the Democrats of inserting “extraneous issues” into the discussions.

“If the Democrats make the decisions to shut the government down, the consequences are on them.”

While Vance said Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries offered some “reasonable” ideas, “What’s not reasonable is to hold those ideas as leverage and to shut down the government unless we give you everything you want.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the Democrats’ demands "a hijacking of the American people, and it's the American people that are going to pay the price."

President Donald Trump said they are waiting for approvals "from a lot of different countries that are involved in this" regarding his proposal.

If Hamas ultimately rejects the plan, the president told Netanyahu during his remarks that "you'd have our full backing to do what you would have to do."

"Everyone understands that the ultimate result must be the elimination of any danger posed in the region, and that danger is caused by Hamas," Trump said.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not take questions at the end of their remarks.

"I think while we wait for these documents to be signed and get everybody in line, I think it maybe is not really appropriate to take questions," Trump said.

After Trump asked the prime minister if he wanted to take a question or two from a "friendly Israeli reporter," Netanyahu also declined, saying, "I would go by your instinct -- we'll have enough time for questions. Let's settle the issue first."

The two shook hands before leaving the room.