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(WASHINGTON) – Republican and Democratic leaders on Friday sought a way to end the government's partial closure for 35 days, but remained at odds with President Donald Trump's request that any compromise should include money. for the construction of its border wall.
Senators spoke with greater urgency after Thursday's defeat of competing proposals by Trump and the Democrats. Bipartite discussions have suggested hope that an agreement could be reached to put a temporary end to the longest closure of federal agencies.
"There are discussions on the side of the Senate. We are in touch with them, "Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, told reporters on Friday. Asked about Trump's demands for border security measures in a bill temporarily reopening the government, Pelosi said, "We'll see what happens today. other."
Pelosi was referring to a Thursday meeting between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., To explore potential next steps to resolve the vitriolic stalemate.
The brief bulletin
Pressure is growing between the two parties to reopen agencies immediately and pay hundreds of thousands of federal workers in trouble as negotiators seek an agreement.
But Trump did not endorse the idea, saying any short-term deal must include a large down payment for a border wall – an idea that Pelosi and Schumer immediately rejected.
Thursday's vote came after Vice President Mike Pence had lunch privately with reluctant GOP senators, who told him that they were eager for the stalemate to end, the attendees said. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Stated that his message to Pence was: "Find a way forward."
On Thursday in the White House, Mr. Trump told the press that he would support "a reasonable deal". He suggested that he also wants a "pro-rated down payment" for his long-sought-after border wall with Mexico, but did not describe the term. He added that he had "other alternatives" to get funding from the wall, an apparent reference to his disputed claim that he could declare a national emergency and fund the construction of the wall using other programs in the budget. federal.
On Friday, Sarah Sanders, press secretary at the White House, did not bring much clarity.
"I will not negotiate in the press, but we have submitted a proposal that says not what we want, but what citizens and border professionals say they need to do their job," said Sander. "And that's what the president wants to see happen. And we will work to get there one way or the other. "
Even in this case, it was unclear whether the wave would yield results.
"At least we talk about it. It's better than before, "McConnell told reporters in one of the most encouraging statements since the market closed on December 22. McConnell's spokesman, Don Stewart, said Friday that Pelosi and Trump still had the rumors growing in the Senate for McConnell and Schumer to grab hold of the reins.
Schumer's spokesman, Justin Goodman, said the Democrats have made it clear that they "will not support the financing of the wall, pro rata or otherwise".
The harsh reality facing the 800,000 federal workers, who face a second two-week payday without pay, has also helped put pressure on the legislator to find a solution.
In an embarrbadment for Trump, the Democratic proposal got two more votes on Thursday than the GOP plan, even though Republicans control room 53-47. Six Republicans supported the Democratic plan, including freshman Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who periodically ran into the President.
The Senate first rejected a Republican plan reopening the government until September and giving Trump the $ 5.7 billion that he had claimed for building segments of this wall, a project that he He had long promised Mexico to finance. The vote of 50-47 for the measure fell 10 of the 60 votes needed to succeed.
A few minutes later, senators voted 52 to 44 for a Democratic alternative that aimed to open padlock agencies until February 8th without spending money. He was missing eight votes. It was intended to give negotiators time to seek agreement while paying pay checks to government employees who work without pay or are forced to stay at home.
Upset MPs said Thursday's calls could be a reality check that would launch the talks. On the whole, the two sides issued mutually exclusive claims that prevented the start of negotiations: Trump refused to reopen the government until Congress gave him the money, and the Democrats Congress rejected the negotiations until it reopened the government.
McConnell's commitment was seen as a constructive sign, as he has always helped to resolve partisan confrontations. For weeks, he had let Trump and the Democrats try to reach an agreement and, until Thursday, had banned any vote on the legislation that Trump would not have signed.
In consultation with their Senate counterparts, Democrats in the House were preparing a new border security package that could be rolled out on Friday. But Pelosi said the launch was waiting to see what would happen in the Senate talks.
The Democratic package was to include $ 5.7 billion, the same amount Trump wants for its wall, but it would be used instead for fencing, technology, personnel and other measures. Trump proposed Saturday to reopen the government when he received his money. He also proposed revising immigration laws, including new restrictions on asylum-seeking minors in Central America and temporary protection for immigrants who entered the country illegally as children.
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