A bipartisan group of senators find it "hard" to want to reopen the government



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Two sources with direct knowledge of the bipartite meeting of the Senators Band said that the group had already faced significant obstacles, but that Senators would likely continue to speak.

"It was difficult," said a source, citing the president. Donald Trump has repeatedly rejected the government's immediate reopening proposals before an agreement is reached on a definitive agreement on border security, which remains a central point.

The Democratic senators who left the meeting declared that they could not negotiate. until the government is open again.

"You must first reopen the government, you must do it," said Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia. "Because if you reward bad behavior, you will have more, and we will not reward that bad behavior on the part of this president."

The sources acknowledged that it was only the first meeting and the senators were trying to do something, but for the moment are largely stuck in the same place.

That said, "people are talking, and it is better than the alternative," said one of the sources.

It is not clear if anything the group gets to get the approval of the president …

"It will ultimately depend on the ability of the president to live with that," said the Republican Senator John Cornyn, who said any solution will have to include wall funding.

Cornyn said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was aware of new discussions.

"I would not go so far as to say that he blessed him," Cornyn said. "But sometimes, that kind of thing has a way of taking things off that are otherwise stuck."

The new bipartisan group, which met in the Capitol office of West Virginia's Democratic senator, Joe Manchin, comes after a Republican effort to find a solution. it's collapsed last week after being rejected by the White House. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, led these discussions and was back in the room with the new group on Monday.

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who also attended the meeting, said the group had The details are not pinned yet, but he says he believes the solution is based on Congress.

"The fact that we are talking indicates that the long-term strategy has to be an act of Congress, and we try to the group wants to find a solution," he told reporters.

Kaine argued that the meeting had been productive because the Republicans needed to hear the Democrats directly tell them that they were committed, but they were also determined to reopen the government.

Democrats have already approved bills that include funding for border security, Kaine said, suggesting the possibility of reaching a similar deal.

"We are more reliable partners for you than the president in border security" Virginia Democrat said they're not old Republicans, adding that he felt "a little more confident after the meeting d & # 39; aujourd & # 39; hui ".

Last week, Graham's plan proposed allocating $ 5.7 billion to the Trump border wall as well as several additions to appease Democrats. This plan would have included support for beneficiaries of the deferred action program for child arrivals, as well as for immigrants from El Salvador and other countries involved in the program. temporary protection status.

Ted Barrett of CNN contributed to this report.

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