Disagree to end the stop; Trump says "it could be long"

WASHINGTON – Nobody moved to President Donald Trump's meeting at the White House on Wednesday with congressional leaders. The partial closure of the government persisted for a twelfth day following its request for billions of dollars for the construction of a wall along the US border with Mexico. They will try again on Friday.

In a big change, the new Congress gets organized on Thursday, Democrats taking control of the House and Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi told the White House that a bill would be passed quickly. open the government – without funds for the wall of the border. But the White House rejected the package, and Trump said before the session with congressional leaders that the partial stoppage will last "as long as it will take" to get the funding he wants.

"It could be long or could be quickly," Trump said at a lengthy meeting of the White House Council of Ministers during his first public appearance in the New Year. Meanwhile, the shutdown lasted a second week, closing parks and leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay.

Democrats said they had asked Trump directly at Wednesday's private meeting in the situation room, why he did not plan to consider their proposals. bills. One measure would open most closed departments to funding levels already agreed to by all parties. The other would provide temporary funding for homeland security, until February 8, allowing for the continuation of border security talks.

"I said, Mr. President, give me a good reason to continue your closure," said the leader of the Senate minority. Chuck Schumer said after. "He could not give a good answer."

Added Schumer, "We hope that they would come back on their decisions."

House Republicans leader Kevin McCarthy said that there was no need to extend the closure and that he was disappointed that the discussions did not result . A resolution. He complained that the Democrats had suspended domestic security officials who were trying to describe a disastrous situation at the border.

"We were hoping we could get more negotiations," McCarthy said.

Friday at the White House for further negotiations.

Both parties exchanged offers, but their talks failed before the holidays. Wednesday, Trump also rejected the offer of his own government to accept $ 2.5 billion for the wall. This offer was made when Vice President Mike Pence and other senior officials met with Schumer at the start of the closure. On Wednesday, Trump repeatedly claimed the $ 5.6 billion he had claimed.

Claiming his arguments before the afternoon session with Democratic and Republican leaders, he said the current border looked like "a sieve" and pointed to the tear gas that was flying. "Overnight to deter arrivals.

" They knew that they could not happen, they would not even start, "said Trump at the meeting, which was joined top secretaries and cabinet ministers, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump 19659005] Trump complains that he was "alone" at the White House during the holidays, after escaping his escape to Mar-a -Lago in Florida He said that his only companions were the "gunners", referring to the security personnel, and "they do not sign, they do not smile." He also criticized Pelosi for his visit to Hawaii.

At the Capitol on Wednesday, Pelosi said she hoped the Republicans and the White House would "hear what we had proposed" to end the closure as "an electoral point" while it was celebrated his first two years in office. omitted "six more years of great success."

The partial closure of the government began on December 22nd. The funding of this wall has been the stumbling block for the passage of funding bills for several departments.

Pelosi, who is expected. On Tuesday, Democrats would take action to "end Trump's closure" by passing a bill to reopen the government.

"We give Republicans the opportunity to respond in the affirmative," she wrote. a letter to colleagues. "Senate Republicans have already supported this bill and if they reject it now, they will be fully complicit in the chaos and destruction of the President's third suspension of his term."

But it seems unlikely that the Republican-led Senate considers the democratic system. financing invoices. GOP chief spokesman Mitch McConnell said the Republicans would not take action without Trump's support.

Even though it was only a symbol, passing bills in the House would put new pressure on the president. At the same time, government officials said Trump was in no hurry to find a way out of the stalemate, saying he had public opinion and his base on his side.

The Democratic package to end the closure would include a bill to temporarily finance the bill. The Department of Homeland Security at current levels – with $ 1.3 billion for border security, far less than what Trump said he wants for the wall – until February 8, while talks are going on. continued.

It would also include another measure to fund the Ministries of Agriculture. , Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by partial closure. This measure would provide money for the rest of the fiscal year, until September 30th.

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Associate Press Editors Laurie Kellman, Kevin Freking and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.