Team Trump and Congressional Democrats failed to cut a deal on funding for the president’s long-promised border wall during a White House sitdown Wednesday — meaning the government shutdown will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
President Trump demanded that Democrats cough up $5 billion for the wall, while Democrats have offered $1.3 billion, leaving the two sides far apart as the shutdown, which began Dec. 22, drags on into the New Year.
Afterward, GOP and Democratic lawmakers held dueling press briefings in which each side blamed the other.
Likely incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her majority would proceed on two bills to fund shuttered government agencies and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job.
Her bills would fund the agencies until Sept. 30, except for Homeland Security, which would only be funded for about a month while talks continued on border security.
“Tomorrow we will bring to the floor legislation that will open up government. It will be based on actions taken by the Republican Senate … led by Senator Mitch McConnell,” Pelosi said, referring to a Senate bill that did not include wall funding but passed.
“We asked the president to support the bills that we support to open up government,” added Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, adding that he asked Trump to give “one good reason” for continuing the shutdown while they debated border security.
“He could not give a good answer,” Schumer said.
But the top incoming House Republicans — Kevin McCarthy of California and Steve Scalise of Louisiana — pointed the finger squarely at Democrats.
McCarthy said there was a “crisis on the border” and that Schumer didn’t want to hear a briefing on the border from Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen.
“I think they wanted to go on without going through the briefing, they wanted to go on with their bill that they were bringing up tomorrow. The president has been very clear that it’s not the bill he would support and Leader McConnell said he’s not bringing anything up that’s not going to become law,” McCarthy said.
Despite the lack of a deal, McConnell sounded hopeful after the meeting.
“I don’t think any particular progress was made today. It was a civil discussion and we are hopeful that somehow in the coming days or weeks we will be able to reach an agreement,” he said.
Trump asked the lawmakers to return to the White House Friday for more talks.
Earlier, Trump said Wednesday said that the government shutdown will last “as long as it takes” for Democrats to cough up the cash he wants for a wall on the southern border.
“As long as it takes. Look, I’m prepared. I think the people of the country think I’m right. I want to do it right,” Trump said.