https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...ons-continue-white-house-congress/2491460002/
The government shutdown is tied for third longest on record – with no end in sight
Christal Hayes and Michael Collins, USA TODAY Published 4:00 a.m. ET Jan. 6, 2019 | Updated 12:29 p.m. ET Jan. 6, 2019
White House officials and congressional staffers will continue negotiations Saturday over the government shutdown, even after President Donald Trump declared he could keep it going for "months or even years." (Jan. 5) AP
(Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON – The partial government shutdown over funding for a border wall reached a milestone Sunday, now tying for the third longest on record without any end in sight due to bitter negotiations.
As President Donald Trump insisted that the border wall dispute was a "very important battle," his aides indicated that he wouldn't cave on his demands.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Sunday that Trump "absolutely" stands by his comments that he is willing to continue the shutdown for months, or even years, to get the money he wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Sanders said the wall is needed to address the "national crisis" at the southern border.
Democrats insist a wall is an ineffective use of resources. They are pushing for a more varied approach to border security, which includes improved technology to monitor the border with tools such as drones and tunnel detection.
White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney – who in 2015 said a border barrier was an "absurd and almost childish" solution to U.S. immigration issues – said Sunday that the wall would only be one component of the $5.6 billion Trump wants for border security.
"We recognize that things like technology are important," Mulvaney said on CNN's "State of the Union." "But certainly a barrier is important."
The definition of that barrier has evolved over time. On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump insisted it would be a "big, beautiful" wall made of concrete – and that Mexico would pay for it. Mulvaney said Sunday on "Meet the Press" that the president is now willing to compromise by backing off the demand for a concrete wall to "replace it with a steel fence."
"If that is not evidence of the president's desire to try to resolve this, I don't know what is," Mulvaney said.
Democrats say they are willing to discuss what is needed to address to border security and immigration, but only after the shutdown ends.
"What we ought to do is open up the government first," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Sunday on "Meet the Press."
"There's no requirement that this government be shut down while we deliberate the future of any barrier, whether it's a fence or a wall," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Senior congressional aides and top White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, are scheduled to meet again in the nation's capital after hours of talks Saturday did not lead to a compromise.
Pence's office described Saturday's meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next door to the White House, as "productive" with Democratic sources saying those in the room urged President Donald Trump to reopen the government and back off his request for more than $5 billion to construct a wall along the southern U.S. border.
Mulvaney said he thought the meeting was "disappointing" and that Democrats were not looking for a solution "because they think that they are winning this battle politically."
The president admitted on Twitter after the Saturday meeting that "not much headway" was made during the talks but again pressed for border security, a sign neither side is wavering in the bickering that has left thousands of federal employees working with no pay.
More: Government shutdown: Pence, congressional aides leave meeting without agreement on funding
More: How long will the federal shutdown last? Here are lessons from previous budget battles.
More: IRS to take taxpayer's money in a shutdown but not issue refunds, plan says
The president spent much of the day Saturday attacking Democrats, the media and making a case for the wall by saying everyone besides "drug dealers, human traffickers and criminals" wants one.
The House and the Senate adjourned Friday and members aren’t scheduled to return to Washington until Tuesday afternoon, meaning the earliest that shuttered federal departments and agencies could reopen would be Wednesday.
If the shutdown is still in effect Wednesday, that would mark its 19th day, making it the second-longest on record.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Saturday that House Democrats would introduce bills next week to fund parts of the government that are currently part of the shutdown, including the Treasury Department and IRS.
"This action is necessary so that the American people can receive their tax refunds on schedule," Pelosi said. "The certainty of the tax returns of hard-working families should no longer be held hostage to the president’s reckless demands."
The IRS has categorized issuing tax refunds as a "non-excepted" activity — meaning those tasked with processing refunds would be furloughed during a shutdown and millions of Americans wouldn't get their checks on time.
While the measure could help relieve some pressure from both lawmakers and the White House, it's unclear if the idea would be welcomed by Republicans. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office, in response to a question on whether this would be considered for a vote, said "there would be no more votes on this issue until an agreement was reached between Republicans and Democrats in Congress that the president would sign."
The White House didn't comment on the possibility of the bills.
The shutdown began on Dec. 22, when nine federal departments and several smaller agencies – representing a quarter of the federal government – ran out of money and had to close their doors because of a budget dispute between the White House and Congress. Some 800,000 federal employees have been forced to go on unpaid leave or work without pay.
A federal contractor who works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Utah says he's begun to worry about his income during the partial government shutdown. Chris Erickson says he's unlikely to be reimbursed for the days he has lost. (Jan 4) AP
The sticking point has been Trump’s insistence on $5 billion in funding for a border wall. Democrats are refusing to give him the money, arguing that a wall would be expensive, wasteful and ineffective.
Currently, in its 16th day, the shutdown is now tied for the third longest, which happened in 2013 when President Barack Obama was in the White House. That shutdown started over a fight over the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Republicans in Congress sought to delay or defund the act after failing in their efforts at outright repeal. They attempted to force Obama’s hand by approving a temporary measure that would fund the government but would cut funding to implement Obamacare.
The Senate, controlled by Democrats, rejected the plan. The resulting impasse shut down the government. The standoff ended when Republicans conceded defeat and a deal was worked out to reopen the government. Polls showed that Republicans took the brunt of the blame.
The longest government shutdown on record lasted 21 days, and lasted from Dec. 5, 1995, to Jan. 6, 1996. The battle involved a dispute between President Bill Clinton and Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich over spending cuts. That shutdown ended when the two sides agreed to a seven-year budget plan with some spending cuts and tax increases.
Late Thursday, on their first day back in the majority, Pelosi and House Democrats pushed through a package of spending bills to reopen the government. But in the GOP-led Senate, McConnell dismissed the legislation as “political theater, not productive lawmaking” and said he would not put the package to a vote because Trump would not sign it.
More: President Trump says border wall fight is 'very important battle to win'
More: Government shutdown could wreak havoc on farmers – and the timing could hardly be worse
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Negotiations continue as government shutdown enters 3rd week
Jim Young/Reuters
WatchTrump prepared to keep government closed for border wall
With the government shutdown entering its third week, negotiations between Republicans and Democrats continue as President Donald Trump demands funding for a border wall.
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Congressional leadership staff, Vice President Mike Pence, senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and aides met Saturday in the vice president's ceremonial office to work towards an agreement to reopen the government and fund border security at the behest of the president.
Jim Young/Reuters
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters following a meeting with congressional leadership on the ongoing partial government shutdown in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Jan. 4, 2019.more +
But after a nearly two-hour meeting and briefing by Nielsen that was described as "productive" by the vice president, an agreement has still not been reached. On Sunday, the working group plans to head back over to the Eisenhower executive office building for another round of negotiations.
"Productive discussion w/ Congressional leadership staff at @WhiteHouse. @SecNielsen gave a full presentation on crisis along Southern Border. We reaffirmed @POTUS’ commitment to secure the border, build the wall, keep Americans safe & reopen gov’t. Discussions continue tomorrow," Pence tweeted.
The Democrats requested specific details in writing of Department of Homeland Security needs from the White House, according to a Democratic aide.
Currently, negotiations remain at an impasse as the president said he will not budge on his request for $5.6 billion in funding for a border wall.
(MORE: Trump calls shutdown meeting 'productive' while Democrats say he threatened to keep the government closed 'for years')
During an unplanned press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House after a closed-door meeting with Democratic and Republican leadership Friday, President Trump said he is prepared to keep the government shut down for "a very long period of time, months or even years" in order to get border wall funding.
Following the meeting, Democrats said the president ignored their pleas to reopen the government as negotiations continue.
Jim Young/Reuters
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, right, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speak to reporters along with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, left, in Washington, Jan. 4, 2019.more +
The stalemate has frustrated lawmakers and federal workers. Currently, over 800,000 federal workers are working without pay or have been sent home to wait for possible back pay. The consequences are being felt by civilians, too -- museums are closed, trash is piling up in parks, and vital, government-backed resources for farmers or housing, for example, are frozen.
(MORE: Trump considering declaring national emergency in an effort to secure wall funding)
Trump dismissed furloughed federal workers in a tweet on Saturday, writing: "I don’t care that most of the workers not getting paid are Democrats, I want to stop the Shutdown as soon as we are in agreement on Strong Border Security! I am in the White House ready to go, where are the Dems?"
During his Rose Garden press conference Friday, the president was asked about his message for furloughed federal workers. He said that negotiations for a border wall take priority, adding that he believes that federal works "agree with what we're doing."
The president has made the unsubstantiated claim that federal workers are Democrats before. Mulvaney told reporters last Friday the president meant that most federal workers live in districts around the D.C. area that are represented by Democrats.
President Trump also tweeted that ending the shutdown "would be so easy to do" if Democrats would approve "REAL Border Security" that includes the wall and claims there is support from both sides.
Coming out of the second meeting in the White House Situation Room with the president on Friday, Democrats said the discussions were "contentious." While Trump has continued to demand money for the border wall, Democrats say they are not willing to allocate any additional funds. Instead, Democrats have asked the president to reopen the government while the talks about border security continue.
(MORE: Pelosi repeats history, recaptures the speaker's gavel )
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who recaptured the speaker's gavel on Thursday, did not sound optimistic when she was asked how she would define the progress from the meetings.
"How do you define progress when you have a better understanding of each other's position? When you eliminate some possibilities? If that's a judgment, then yes, we made progress," she said before turning on her heels to leave the White House with her fellow Democrats.
ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Karen Travers contributed to this report.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2019/01/03/trump-sees-his-leverage/
Trump sees his leverage dwindle as shutdown pushes toward 3rd week
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-sltrib.s3.amazonaws.com/public/B3R5UO5GK5B53HBLYY7XRPWCJI.jpg)
(Evan Vucci | The Associated Press) In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump makes a statement on the possible government shutdown before signing criminal just reform legislation in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. Nancy Pelosi and Trump both think they have public sentiment on their side in the battle over a border wall. That theory will be put the test this week when the new House Democratic majority led by Pelosi gavels into session with legislation to end the government shutdown.
By Justin Sink | Bloomberg
· Published: 2 days ago
Updated: 2 days ago
President Donald Trump has gained little leverage with Democrats two weeks into the partial government shutdown of his own making, with fewer possible escape routes and a more treacherous path ahead as the GOP relinquishes control of the House.
Trump turned to the bully pulpit on the first work day of the new year with a stream of tweets and an extended televised cabinet meeting to press his case for funding the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Later, he and top congressional leaders met for what was billed as a briefing on border security issues in the Situation Room at the White House.
Democrats, who take over the majority in the House on Thursday, were unmoved.
The White House meeting quickly devolved into political posturing. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who's poised to be elected House speaker on Thursday, said the chamber will vote on two measures to reopen government that mirror legislation that the Senate had already passed with Republican support only to be rejected by Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the shutdown could last weeks.
Trump invited the lawmakers to return Friday to the White House following Thursday’s congressional leadership elections. It’s unclear whether the Democrats will accept his offer, although he sounded somewhat conciliatory in tweets on Wednesday evening: “I remain ready and willing to work with Democrats to pass a bill that secures our borders, supports the agents and officers on the ground, and keeps America Safe. Let’s get it done!”
Republicans sought to insinuate that Pelosi was struggling to shore up support within her ranks for her leadership bid.
But Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., instead signaled they saw a political opportunity to gain further leverage against the White House. The legislation they plan to pass would reopen the affected government departments, provide $1.3 billion for border security on a pro-rated basis and give time for further negotiations on the issue. The measure would fund the Department of Homeland Security only until Feb. 8, and wouldn't include money for the construction of the border wall.
That’s not enough for Trump, and Democrats will cast the president as holding federal workers as hostage for the wall.
That approach — and the underlying intransigence — has been made easier by a president who has misplayed his hand repeatedly during negotiations.
Trump's most severe misstep was self-inflicted. In a meeting with Pelosi and Schumer last month, he defiantly boasted that he would be "proud" to "take the mantle" of shutting the government down if he didn't get the more than $5 billion he was seeking for building the wall.
That would cause political trouble for even the most popular of politicians — and poses a particular hazard for one whose approval rating regularly hit historic lows even before the latest personnel turnovers at the White House and market swings fueled by ongoing trade disputes.
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"The president said, 'I am going to shut the government down,' " Schumer remarked. "They are now feeling the heat. It is not helping the president, it is not helping the Republicans, to be the owners of this shutdown."
Trump also hasn't cultivated an image as a person ready to seek common ground. On Wednesday, he said he wasn't willing to budge on his wall funding demand. He also appeared to rule out a broader compromise that could offer protected status for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.
"As long as it takes," Trump said when asked how long he would hold out. "Look, I'm prepared — I think the people of the country think I'm right."
Fifty-seven percent of Americans wanted Trump to compromise on the wall before the shutdown, and nearly seven in 10 said the wall wasn't an immediate priority, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published Dec. 11.
Democrats haven't offered even cursory concessions as the consequences of the funding lapse are rapidly intensifying, underscoring how little ground Trump has earned as the shutdown has progressed.
But Pelosi is facing pressures of her own as newly elected progressives aim to take the Democratic Party further to the left. Incoming House Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said Wednesday she would vote against a package of legislative rules that had been negotiated by Pelosi. California Democrat Ro Khanna said he'll also oppose the measure, which contains an austerity provision demanded by centrists.
Trump's unequivocal embrace of responsibility for the shutdown has helped deflect other news — such as the fatal shooting of a California police officer, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant, or Pelosi's vacation at a Hawaiian resort as hundreds of thousands of federal workers worried about their pay — that may have eroded the Democrats' political standing.
Some of the president's allies have not helped his cause. His outgoing chief of staff, John Kelly, said the president had already retreated from his initial plans for a "solid concrete wall" early in the administration.
Others in the Senate, including Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., have said Trump must seek compromise to end the shutdown. McConnell has laid the issue at Trump's feet by saying the upper chamber will adopt legislation — including bills that passed late last year — only if they have White House support.
McConnell's position has kept Trump from having to issue the first presidential veto of his term, but otherwise has offered him little political cover.
"I don't think any particular progress was made today," McConnell said after the Wednesday meeting at the White House. "We're hopeful that somehow in the coming days or weeks we will be able to reach an agreement."
But for Trump, the set of options seems to have diminished.
If he accepts a funding deal from Democrats that offers little or no money for new wall construction, he risks alienating a base that has provided a steady line of support and undermining his self-proclaimed status as a master negotiator.
Allowing the shutdown to drag along carries risks as well. While Trump can continue to elevate immigration as a potent political wedge, a prolonged shutdown could add uncertainty to already volatile markets as federal workers and contractors begin missing paychecks and invoices.
Yet with Democrats showing little inclination to budge as the shutdown stretches into its third week, Trump posed the key question to himself rhetorically as he met with his Cabinet on Wednesday.
“Well, I’d rather not say it — could we do it for a little bit less?” Trump said.
The government shutdown is tied for third longest on record – with no end in sight
Christal Hayes and Michael Collins, USA TODAY Published 4:00 a.m. ET Jan. 6, 2019 | Updated 12:29 p.m. ET Jan. 6, 2019
White House officials and congressional staffers will continue negotiations Saturday over the government shutdown, even after President Donald Trump declared he could keep it going for "months or even years." (Jan. 5) AP
(Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON – The partial government shutdown over funding for a border wall reached a milestone Sunday, now tying for the third longest on record without any end in sight due to bitter negotiations.
As President Donald Trump insisted that the border wall dispute was a "very important battle," his aides indicated that he wouldn't cave on his demands.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Sunday that Trump "absolutely" stands by his comments that he is willing to continue the shutdown for months, or even years, to get the money he wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Sanders said the wall is needed to address the "national crisis" at the southern border.
Democrats insist a wall is an ineffective use of resources. They are pushing for a more varied approach to border security, which includes improved technology to monitor the border with tools such as drones and tunnel detection.
White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney – who in 2015 said a border barrier was an "absurd and almost childish" solution to U.S. immigration issues – said Sunday that the wall would only be one component of the $5.6 billion Trump wants for border security.
"We recognize that things like technology are important," Mulvaney said on CNN's "State of the Union." "But certainly a barrier is important."
The definition of that barrier has evolved over time. On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump insisted it would be a "big, beautiful" wall made of concrete – and that Mexico would pay for it. Mulvaney said Sunday on "Meet the Press" that the president is now willing to compromise by backing off the demand for a concrete wall to "replace it with a steel fence."
"If that is not evidence of the president's desire to try to resolve this, I don't know what is," Mulvaney said.
Democrats say they are willing to discuss what is needed to address to border security and immigration, but only after the shutdown ends.
"What we ought to do is open up the government first," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Sunday on "Meet the Press."
"There's no requirement that this government be shut down while we deliberate the future of any barrier, whether it's a fence or a wall," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Senior congressional aides and top White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, are scheduled to meet again in the nation's capital after hours of talks Saturday did not lead to a compromise.
Pence's office described Saturday's meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next door to the White House, as "productive" with Democratic sources saying those in the room urged President Donald Trump to reopen the government and back off his request for more than $5 billion to construct a wall along the southern U.S. border.
Mulvaney said he thought the meeting was "disappointing" and that Democrats were not looking for a solution "because they think that they are winning this battle politically."
The president admitted on Twitter after the Saturday meeting that "not much headway" was made during the talks but again pressed for border security, a sign neither side is wavering in the bickering that has left thousands of federal employees working with no pay.
More: Government shutdown: Pence, congressional aides leave meeting without agreement on funding
More: How long will the federal shutdown last? Here are lessons from previous budget battles.
More: IRS to take taxpayer's money in a shutdown but not issue refunds, plan says
The president spent much of the day Saturday attacking Democrats, the media and making a case for the wall by saying everyone besides "drug dealers, human traffickers and criminals" wants one.
The House and the Senate adjourned Friday and members aren’t scheduled to return to Washington until Tuesday afternoon, meaning the earliest that shuttered federal departments and agencies could reopen would be Wednesday.
If the shutdown is still in effect Wednesday, that would mark its 19th day, making it the second-longest on record.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Saturday that House Democrats would introduce bills next week to fund parts of the government that are currently part of the shutdown, including the Treasury Department and IRS.
"This action is necessary so that the American people can receive their tax refunds on schedule," Pelosi said. "The certainty of the tax returns of hard-working families should no longer be held hostage to the president’s reckless demands."
The IRS has categorized issuing tax refunds as a "non-excepted" activity — meaning those tasked with processing refunds would be furloughed during a shutdown and millions of Americans wouldn't get their checks on time.
While the measure could help relieve some pressure from both lawmakers and the White House, it's unclear if the idea would be welcomed by Republicans. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office, in response to a question on whether this would be considered for a vote, said "there would be no more votes on this issue until an agreement was reached between Republicans and Democrats in Congress that the president would sign."
The White House didn't comment on the possibility of the bills.
The shutdown began on Dec. 22, when nine federal departments and several smaller agencies – representing a quarter of the federal government – ran out of money and had to close their doors because of a budget dispute between the White House and Congress. Some 800,000 federal employees have been forced to go on unpaid leave or work without pay.
A federal contractor who works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Utah says he's begun to worry about his income during the partial government shutdown. Chris Erickson says he's unlikely to be reimbursed for the days he has lost. (Jan 4) AP
The sticking point has been Trump’s insistence on $5 billion in funding for a border wall. Democrats are refusing to give him the money, arguing that a wall would be expensive, wasteful and ineffective.
Currently, in its 16th day, the shutdown is now tied for the third longest, which happened in 2013 when President Barack Obama was in the White House. That shutdown started over a fight over the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Republicans in Congress sought to delay or defund the act after failing in their efforts at outright repeal. They attempted to force Obama’s hand by approving a temporary measure that would fund the government but would cut funding to implement Obamacare.
The Senate, controlled by Democrats, rejected the plan. The resulting impasse shut down the government. The standoff ended when Republicans conceded defeat and a deal was worked out to reopen the government. Polls showed that Republicans took the brunt of the blame.
The longest government shutdown on record lasted 21 days, and lasted from Dec. 5, 1995, to Jan. 6, 1996. The battle involved a dispute between President Bill Clinton and Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich over spending cuts. That shutdown ended when the two sides agreed to a seven-year budget plan with some spending cuts and tax increases.
Late Thursday, on their first day back in the majority, Pelosi and House Democrats pushed through a package of spending bills to reopen the government. But in the GOP-led Senate, McConnell dismissed the legislation as “political theater, not productive lawmaking” and said he would not put the package to a vote because Trump would not sign it.
More: President Trump says border wall fight is 'very important battle to win'
More: Government shutdown could wreak havoc on farmers – and the timing could hardly be worse
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Negotiations continue as government shutdown enters 3rd week
- By Meridith McGraw
WatchTrump prepared to keep government closed for border wall
With the government shutdown entering its third week, negotiations between Republicans and Democrats continue as President Donald Trump demands funding for a border wall.
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Congressional leadership staff, Vice President Mike Pence, senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and aides met Saturday in the vice president's ceremonial office to work towards an agreement to reopen the government and fund border security at the behest of the president.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters following a meeting with congressional leadership on the ongoing partial government shutdown in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Jan. 4, 2019.more +
But after a nearly two-hour meeting and briefing by Nielsen that was described as "productive" by the vice president, an agreement has still not been reached. On Sunday, the working group plans to head back over to the Eisenhower executive office building for another round of negotiations.
"Productive discussion w/ Congressional leadership staff at @WhiteHouse. @SecNielsen gave a full presentation on crisis along Southern Border. We reaffirmed @POTUS’ commitment to secure the border, build the wall, keep Americans safe & reopen gov’t. Discussions continue tomorrow," Pence tweeted.
The Democrats requested specific details in writing of Department of Homeland Security needs from the White House, according to a Democratic aide.
Currently, negotiations remain at an impasse as the president said he will not budge on his request for $5.6 billion in funding for a border wall.
(MORE: Trump calls shutdown meeting 'productive' while Democrats say he threatened to keep the government closed 'for years')
During an unplanned press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House after a closed-door meeting with Democratic and Republican leadership Friday, President Trump said he is prepared to keep the government shut down for "a very long period of time, months or even years" in order to get border wall funding.
Following the meeting, Democrats said the president ignored their pleas to reopen the government as negotiations continue.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, right, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speak to reporters along with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, left, in Washington, Jan. 4, 2019.more +
The stalemate has frustrated lawmakers and federal workers. Currently, over 800,000 federal workers are working without pay or have been sent home to wait for possible back pay. The consequences are being felt by civilians, too -- museums are closed, trash is piling up in parks, and vital, government-backed resources for farmers or housing, for example, are frozen.
(MORE: Trump considering declaring national emergency in an effort to secure wall funding)
Trump dismissed furloughed federal workers in a tweet on Saturday, writing: "I don’t care that most of the workers not getting paid are Democrats, I want to stop the Shutdown as soon as we are in agreement on Strong Border Security! I am in the White House ready to go, where are the Dems?"
During his Rose Garden press conference Friday, the president was asked about his message for furloughed federal workers. He said that negotiations for a border wall take priority, adding that he believes that federal works "agree with what we're doing."
The president has made the unsubstantiated claim that federal workers are Democrats before. Mulvaney told reporters last Friday the president meant that most federal workers live in districts around the D.C. area that are represented by Democrats.
President Trump also tweeted that ending the shutdown "would be so easy to do" if Democrats would approve "REAL Border Security" that includes the wall and claims there is support from both sides.
Coming out of the second meeting in the White House Situation Room with the president on Friday, Democrats said the discussions were "contentious." While Trump has continued to demand money for the border wall, Democrats say they are not willing to allocate any additional funds. Instead, Democrats have asked the president to reopen the government while the talks about border security continue.
(MORE: Pelosi repeats history, recaptures the speaker's gavel )
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who recaptured the speaker's gavel on Thursday, did not sound optimistic when she was asked how she would define the progress from the meetings.
"How do you define progress when you have a better understanding of each other's position? When you eliminate some possibilities? If that's a judgment, then yes, we made progress," she said before turning on her heels to leave the White House with her fellow Democrats.
ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Karen Travers contributed to this report.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2019/01/03/trump-sees-his-leverage/
Trump sees his leverage dwindle as shutdown pushes toward 3rd week
(Evan Vucci | The Associated Press) In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump makes a statement on the possible government shutdown before signing criminal just reform legislation in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. Nancy Pelosi and Trump both think they have public sentiment on their side in the battle over a border wall. That theory will be put the test this week when the new House Democratic majority led by Pelosi gavels into session with legislation to end the government shutdown.
By Justin Sink | Bloomberg
· Published: 2 days ago
Updated: 2 days ago
President Donald Trump has gained little leverage with Democrats two weeks into the partial government shutdown of his own making, with fewer possible escape routes and a more treacherous path ahead as the GOP relinquishes control of the House.
Trump turned to the bully pulpit on the first work day of the new year with a stream of tweets and an extended televised cabinet meeting to press his case for funding the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Later, he and top congressional leaders met for what was billed as a briefing on border security issues in the Situation Room at the White House.
Democrats, who take over the majority in the House on Thursday, were unmoved.
The White House meeting quickly devolved into political posturing. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who's poised to be elected House speaker on Thursday, said the chamber will vote on two measures to reopen government that mirror legislation that the Senate had already passed with Republican support only to be rejected by Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the shutdown could last weeks.
Trump invited the lawmakers to return Friday to the White House following Thursday’s congressional leadership elections. It’s unclear whether the Democrats will accept his offer, although he sounded somewhat conciliatory in tweets on Wednesday evening: “I remain ready and willing to work with Democrats to pass a bill that secures our borders, supports the agents and officers on the ground, and keeps America Safe. Let’s get it done!”
Republicans sought to insinuate that Pelosi was struggling to shore up support within her ranks for her leadership bid.
But Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., instead signaled they saw a political opportunity to gain further leverage against the White House. The legislation they plan to pass would reopen the affected government departments, provide $1.3 billion for border security on a pro-rated basis and give time for further negotiations on the issue. The measure would fund the Department of Homeland Security only until Feb. 8, and wouldn't include money for the construction of the border wall.
That’s not enough for Trump, and Democrats will cast the president as holding federal workers as hostage for the wall.
That approach — and the underlying intransigence — has been made easier by a president who has misplayed his hand repeatedly during negotiations.
Trump's most severe misstep was self-inflicted. In a meeting with Pelosi and Schumer last month, he defiantly boasted that he would be "proud" to "take the mantle" of shutting the government down if he didn't get the more than $5 billion he was seeking for building the wall.
That would cause political trouble for even the most popular of politicians — and poses a particular hazard for one whose approval rating regularly hit historic lows even before the latest personnel turnovers at the White House and market swings fueled by ongoing trade disputes.
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"The president said, 'I am going to shut the government down,' " Schumer remarked. "They are now feeling the heat. It is not helping the president, it is not helping the Republicans, to be the owners of this shutdown."
Trump also hasn't cultivated an image as a person ready to seek common ground. On Wednesday, he said he wasn't willing to budge on his wall funding demand. He also appeared to rule out a broader compromise that could offer protected status for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.
"As long as it takes," Trump said when asked how long he would hold out. "Look, I'm prepared — I think the people of the country think I'm right."
Fifty-seven percent of Americans wanted Trump to compromise on the wall before the shutdown, and nearly seven in 10 said the wall wasn't an immediate priority, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published Dec. 11.
Democrats haven't offered even cursory concessions as the consequences of the funding lapse are rapidly intensifying, underscoring how little ground Trump has earned as the shutdown has progressed.
But Pelosi is facing pressures of her own as newly elected progressives aim to take the Democratic Party further to the left. Incoming House Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said Wednesday she would vote against a package of legislative rules that had been negotiated by Pelosi. California Democrat Ro Khanna said he'll also oppose the measure, which contains an austerity provision demanded by centrists.
Trump's unequivocal embrace of responsibility for the shutdown has helped deflect other news — such as the fatal shooting of a California police officer, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant, or Pelosi's vacation at a Hawaiian resort as hundreds of thousands of federal workers worried about their pay — that may have eroded the Democrats' political standing.
Some of the president's allies have not helped his cause. His outgoing chief of staff, John Kelly, said the president had already retreated from his initial plans for a "solid concrete wall" early in the administration.
Others in the Senate, including Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., have said Trump must seek compromise to end the shutdown. McConnell has laid the issue at Trump's feet by saying the upper chamber will adopt legislation — including bills that passed late last year — only if they have White House support.
McConnell's position has kept Trump from having to issue the first presidential veto of his term, but otherwise has offered him little political cover.
"I don't think any particular progress was made today," McConnell said after the Wednesday meeting at the White House. "We're hopeful that somehow in the coming days or weeks we will be able to reach an agreement."
But for Trump, the set of options seems to have diminished.
If he accepts a funding deal from Democrats that offers little or no money for new wall construction, he risks alienating a base that has provided a steady line of support and undermining his self-proclaimed status as a master negotiator.
Allowing the shutdown to drag along carries risks as well. While Trump can continue to elevate immigration as a potent political wedge, a prolonged shutdown could add uncertainty to already volatile markets as federal workers and contractors begin missing paychecks and invoices.
Yet with Democrats showing little inclination to budge as the shutdown stretches into its third week, Trump posed the key question to himself rhetorically as he met with his Cabinet on Wednesday.
“Well, I’d rather not say it — could we do it for a little bit less?” Trump said.
