House Democrats have passed a plan to re-open the US government without funding President Donald Trump’s border wall — but a meeting between congressional leaders and the president in the White House has shown little promise for a quick fix to the ongoing funding problems.
The largely party-line votes on the bill Thursday – on the Democrats first day in the majority - came after Mr Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room, where he introduced leaders of the National Border Patrol Council who claimed a physical border barrier is necessary for national security. The president pledged to keep fighting for over $5bn in funding for the wall, which was a major campaign promise when he ran for president two years ago.
On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Mr Trump — alongside the other seven top members of the Senate and House leadership caucuses — at the White House, where Democrats and Republicans clashed over the president's request for $5.6bn in border wall funding. Mr Trump, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, had threatened to maintain the government shutdown for "months or even years" if he does not get the funding he seeks.
Mr Trump, during a press conference at the White House Rose Garden following the meeting, confirmed that he had threatened to keep the shutdown going indefinitely if needed, but also confirmed that he is considering emergency powers to re-appropriate funds to build a border wall.
It has been two weeks since the government funding expired for a portion of the US government, forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers to work without pay or stay home until the politicians in Washington can agree to funding legislation.
While congressional leaders have failed to reach an agreement, rubbish in the country's national parks has piled up and other basic services have been cut back.
Read along for our coverage of the ongoing talks between Congress and the White House below
Good morning and welcome to our ongoing coverage of the US government shutdown — we've officially made it to the two week mark.
Here is what lies ahead on Friday: President Donald Trump is scheduled to host House and Senate leadership in the White House today, hoping to strike a deal to end the partial government shutdown that started two weeks ago come midnight.
Will that happen? Well, let's just say it appears unlikely — Democrats officially took over control of the House on Thursday and newly-elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to reject any Republican proposition to give the president the $5.4bn in border funding he has demanded.
And, there are signs that the tides are turning against Mr Trump. On Thursday evening, hours after Ms Pelosi took over the speaker's gavel, the House pushed through legislation that would fund the government without border wall funding. Soon after, two Senate Republicans — Maine's Susan Collins and Colorado's Cory Gardner — signaled that they believe it is time to reopen the government, border wall or no.
And, there are signs that the tides are turning against Mr Trump. On Thursday evening, hours after Ms Pelosi took over the speaker's gavel, the House pushed through legislation that would fund the government without border wall funding. Soon after, two Senate Republicans — Maine's Susan Collins and Colorado's Cory Gardner — signaled that they believe it is time to reopen the government, border wall or no.
Let's check in on what President Donald Trump as been thinking about on the morning after Democrats officially took control of the House.
So far today, the president has tweeted just three times — and mentioned the ongoing shutdown a grand total of zero times.
What's he talking about? Well, the economy and his own potential impeachment...
With Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House and Democrats in control, that may certainly be a possibility. But, it is far from a sure thing that Ms Pelosi would support impeachment efforts, as they could have negative political ramifications.
As for the economy, Mr Trump tweeted a reassuring message that recent fluctuations in the market were foreseeable now that there is split government. He also touted recent jobs numbers.
Here is a more in-depth look at the talk of impeachment in Washington now that Democrats are in power in the House of Representatives.
While it is far from clear that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would support efforts to impeach President Donald Trump, she has not ruled it out. And, there are several members of her caucus that would love nothing more than to see the reality star turned politician hit with impeachment papers.
Representative Rashida Tlaib — who became one of two of the first Muslim women to be sworn into the US House on Thursday — is already making some big waves in Washington.
Ms Tlaib was filmed vowing that she and her colleagues would make sure Mr Trump is impeached in the House now that Democrats control that chamber.
Would that end up with the president being forced from office? Fat chance. Mr Trump, for the most part, still enjoys the support of Republicans in Congress. And that includes Senate support, where Republicans still maintain majority control.
Would that end up with the president being forced from office? Fat chance. Mr Trump, for the most part, still enjoys the support of Republicans in Congress. And that includes Senate support, where Republicans still maintain majority control.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley spoke to reporters this morning regarding expectations for the upcoming meeting between the president and Congressional leadership. Here are his comments, which show the White House is not ready to back down from the president's demands for more than $5bn in funding for a border wall.
"The expectations are for a solution to the crisis at the border. The president has laid out what he wants. He has also laid out what the people at DHS, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, tell him that they need to protect the American people," Mr Gidley said, referencing several federal agencies tasked with immigration missions.
"Nancy Pelosi is now the duly elected speaker of the House. The president wants to work with her, he doesn't want a shutdown. He has proposed a piece of legislation that passed, obviously, the Senate that would reopen the government, fund the government, but also protect the American people," Mr Gidley said.
"That’s what he wants and that’s the expectation from this meeting, because last time Democrats refused to listen to any statistical information about the crisis along the border", he continued, referencing a Wednesday meeting between Congressional leadership and the president in the White House Situation room. "They didn’t believe it, didn’t know it, and once we said a few of those statistics, didn’t care about it".
Democrats are currently in the US Capitol laying out their legislative agenda, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Congressional leaders are expected to meet soon in the White House to discuss a possible end to the ongoing partial government shutdown.
There is little optimism that the leaders will find a way to end the shutdown when they meet in the Situation Room, but the dynamics have changed quite a bit since their previous meeting on Wednesday.
It appears the meeting is running a little late at this point, after having been scheduled to start at 11:30am ET.
Here is a pretty striking photo from Roll Call's Bill Clark showing the changing of the plaque in the Capitol yesterday just after Nancy Pelosi was voted to become speaker of the House.
Here's another sign that President Donald Trump has little intention of backing down from his demands for over $5bn in border wall funding — he has sent a long letter to congressional leadership extolling the virtues of walls.
Among the reasons to build a wall? Well, rich people like himself tend to build them, Mr Trump writes.
"Walls work. That's why rich, powerful, and successful people build them around their homes," the letter reads. "All Americans deserve the same protection".
President Donald Trump is expected to speak in the Rose Garden this afternoon following his meeting with Congressional Democrats and Republicans.
The meeting in the Situation Room regarding the ongoing government shutdown follows after Democrats officially took control of the House of Representatives, and after Speaker Nancy Pelosi was elected to her leadership position.
By all accounts, it is unlikely that much will get done now that Democrats have taken control of the people's chamber — and the two sides have thus far indicated that they are entrenched in their current positions regarding funding for Mr Trump's much talked about border wall.
By all accounts, it is unlikely that much will get done now that Democrats have taken control of the people's chamber — and the two sides have thus far indicated that they are entrenched in their current positions regarding funding for Mr Trump's much talked about border wall.
Here is a full read out of the letter that Mr Trump sent to Congress ahead of the meeting with Democratic and Republican leadership in the Situation Room.
Dear Members of Congress: Congratulations to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and her entire team, on her election to be Speaker of the House. I look forward to working together on our shared priorities for the American People, including rebuilding our infrastructure, reforming unfair trade deals, and reducing the price of prescription drugs. Our recent bipartisan success on numerous legislative accomplishments such as Criminal Justice Reform, opioid legislation, and the Farm Bill, underscores the extraordinary achievements that are possible when we rise above party politics to advance the good of the Nation as a whole. As we begin this new Congress, our first task should be to reopen the Government and to deliver on our highest duty as elected officials: the security of the Nation and its borders. It is the sovereign right of every nation to establish an immigration program in its national interest—lawfully admitting those who have followed the rules, while denying entry to those who break the rules or fail to meet the requirements established in law. A nation that fails to control its borders cannot fulfill its most basic obligations to its citizens—physical safety, economic security, essential public services, and the uniform protection of our laws. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with Congressional leadership at the White House this Wednesday to discuss the border security crisis, and the need for a government funding bill that secures the border and keeps Americans safe. During the meeting, there was debate over the nature and extent of this crisis and its impact on Americans. It had been my hope that Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen would have the opportunity to deliver a presentation discussing the facts about the depth and severity of the humanitarian crisis and the security crisis that is now unfolding at the Southern Border. However, some of those present did not want to hear the presentation at the time, and so I have instead decided to make the presentation available to all Members of Congress. I encourage you to review it carefully, to share it with your staff, and to discuss it with other lawmakers. In crafting a Homeland Security bill, it is essential that we make decisions based upon the facts on the ground—not ideology and rhetoric—and that we listen to the law enforcement personnel on the front lines. The Southern Border is a very dangerous place—in fact, Border Patrol agents routinely encounter some of the most dangerous criminals, cartels, and traffickers anywhere in the world. Effective border security must dramatically reduce the entry of illegal immigrants, criminals, and drugs; it must keep out terrorists, public safety threats, and those otherwise inadmissible under U.S. law; and it must ensure that those who do enter without legal permission can be promptly and safely returned home. As the enclosed presentation makes clear, current funding levels, resources, and authorities are woefully inadequate to meet the scope of the problem. We are no longer in a status quo situation at the Southern Border but in a crisis situation. Status quo funding is not enough.
Senator Chuck Schumer once said: “Illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple. Until the American people are convinced that we will stop future flows of illegal immigration, we will make no progress on dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants who are here now, and on rationalizing our system of legal immigration. That’s plain and simple and unavoidable.” Absolutely critical to border security and national security is a wall or a physical barrier that prevents entry in the first place. Members of both parties—including then Senators Obama and Clinton, current Senator Schumer, and many other members of the House and Senate—all voted for a hard, physical barrier. Walls work. That’s why rich, powerful, and successful people build them around their homes. All Americans deserve the same protection. In Israel, it is 99 percent effective. We must also close the legal gaps in America’s defenses. Loopholes in federal law that prevent removals provide a magnet for illegal entry, and a lucrative business model for vicious coyotes, while overwhelming the U.S. immigration system. The worst loopholes incentivize the smuggling of minors. Under these legal loopholes, if an illegal minor, or those traveling with a minor, merely set foot on United States soil, they cannot be successfully returned home. This explains the profound increases in the arrival of minors travelling both alone and with adults on the dangerous journey to our border. To protect these children from abuse, and stop this illegal flow, we must close these loopholes. This is an urgent humanitarian necessity. Children are terribly used by criminals and coyotes to gain access to our country—they are the biggest victims of all. The most pressing legal changes are as follows:
Sincerely,
DONALD J. TRUMP
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While there are no public events on the official White House schedule, workers are setting up a platform in the Rose Garden in anticipation of President Donald Trump's expected remarks after his meeting with Congressional leadership today.
Those leaders are now in the White House, as is National Security Adviser John Bolton.
The freshman congresswoman who claimed that Democrats were going to impeach President Donald Trump during an expletive-riddled exclamation to supporters on Thursday evening has dodged questions from reporters about the comments, even though she tweeted on Friday that she is unapologetic about the remarks.
Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib's refusal to comment on her remarks to reporters was videotaped outside of the Capitol on Friday, where an aide attempted to divert reporter attention as she skirted around the group before ducking under yellow tape and entering her new place of employment.
The comments have drawn the ire of some Democrats who say Ms Tlaib's comments undercut Democratic efforts to put forth an image of responsible governance instead of partisan attacks in the early days of the new Congress.
"Mueller hasn’t even produced his report yet!” Wisconsin Democratic Representative Ron Kind told POLITICO, referencing special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. “People should cool their jets a little bit, let the prosecutors do their job and finish the investigation".
Here is the video of Representative Rashida Tlaib refusing to answer questions from reporters regarding her calls on Thursday to impeach President Donald Trump.
Ms Tlaib's comments have been met with criticism from some Democrats who argue that calls fro impeachment at this point — before special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election is even released — could be premature, and alienating.
Ms Tlaib said earlier in the day on Twitter that she was "unapologetic" for her comments.
Democrats have emerged from the meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House, and no deal appears to have been made.
When asked by reporters if the negotiators had made any progress towards reopening the government, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responded cryptically.
"How do you define progress in a meeting?" Ms Pelosi asked. Progress can be "when you have a better understanding of each other's position, when you eliminate some possibilities".
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that the president said he is willing to keep the government closed for "a very long time, months or even years", if necessary.
President Donald Trump is still expected to make remarks at the White House Rose Garden now that Democrats have left the building.
While Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said outside of the White House that some progress, in terms of knowing one another's positions, has been made, no deal has been struck.
The White House as a live stream of the event up and running on YouTube, where the president is likely to be joined by Republican leaders who also attended the meeting on Friday.
President Donald Trump is now speaking in the Rose Garden.
He has praised the new job numbers showing that the US economy added 312,000 new jobs in December.
"It's nice to see one of the things that is so beautiful to watch is that 3.2 per cent wage growth. That hasn't happened in so long for our country. That's an incredible thing for our country, that means people are actually getting more money, taking home more money," Mr Trump said.
The latest Labor Department report released on Friday showed the unemployment rate crept up slightly, to 3.9 per cent. That's the highest level since July — but economists have said that the increase is nothing to worry about.
President Donald Trump said during an appearance in the Rose Garden that he has convened a small group that will meet over the weekend to discuss border wall funding.
He said that he had a "productive meeting" with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and said that they plan on increasing security at US points of entry. But, Mr Trump said that port of entry security is not enough.
"You have 2,000 miles of border between the United States and Mexico. If you take a look and you see like we do ... you'll see vast numbers of vehicles driving through the desert and entering where you don't have a very powerful fence or a wall".
Mr Trump continued to note that current border walls, fencing, and security does not span the entire land border. He then claimed that immigrants and drug smugglers "don't stop" and instead go to the "easiest parts" of the US border to cross.
"They come in through empty areas, vast spaces, empty areas," he said. "You don't even have a sign saying Mexico, US. There's no sign designating you have just entered the US. There's just open space".
President Donald Trump said at the White House Rose Garden that "coyotes" and "human traffickers" do things to children and women they are trafficking that "you don't want to know about".
Mr Trump says the only way to stop that unnamed threat is a wall — and says he is fine with steel or concrete.
He has doubled down on his price for $5.6 billion to build the wall, and said, "we're not talking about games, we're talking about national security".
"The drugs are pouring into this country. They don't go through the ports of entry," Mr Trump said.
President Donald Trump as cast the border wall and security as a final piece in a puzzle he has been putting together to remake America in the image of greatness he has frequently described on the campaign trail and during public events.
He flirted with the idea of building the wall out of steel — claiming that American steel manufacturing is making a come back — and said that the border wall will stop migrant caravans from even trying to come to the US.
"When they realize they can't get through, what's going to happen? They're not going to form and they're not going to try to come up", Mr Trump said, describing what he says will happen when future migrant caravans run into the US border wall he wants to erect.
Mr Trump said the same is true for human smugglers and drug smugglers.
The president also said that individuals would still be able to apply for asylum, and "more importantly" for US citizenship, claiming that US job numbers mean that more people can become citizens now because there is job demand (which is not how US naturalization works).
Vice President Mike Pence is now speaking, and says the US is in the midst of a "crisis" on the US southern border.
He called talks with Democrats on Friday "candid" and "constructive", and said that the White House looks forward to more meetings over the weekend.
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