Negotiations on the federal shutdown ended Saturday afternoon with an agreement that they will continue tomorrow.
While Vice President Mike Pence described the negotiations as “productive,” President Trump, who was not present for the talks, said there was “not much headway made today.”
V.P. Mike Pence and team just left the White House. Briefed me on their meeting with the Schumer/Pelosi representatives. Not much headway made today. Second meeting set for tomorrow. After so many decades, must finally and permanently fix the problems on the Southern Border!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2019
The discussions, led by Pence, did not focus on the dollar figure for the southwest border wall that has been a sticking point in the stalemate between President Trump and congressional Democrats.
Instead, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen briefed congressional leadership staff on what the vice president’s office termed the crisis at the southern border.
The vice president’s office said the conversation centered on priorities for security and included discussion of the administration’s commitment to building a border wall.
Democratic staffers requested more information in writing, which the administration expects to provide tonight or tomorrow.
Productive discussion w/ Congressional leadership staff at @WhiteHouse. @SecNielsen gave a full presentation on crisis along Southern Border. We reaffirmed @POTUS’ commitment to secure the border, build the wall, keep Americans safe & reopen gov’t. Discussions continue tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/C7k9Sg8guY
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 5, 2019
The White House announced Friday that Pence would lead the weekend’s talks, which are aimed at resolving the impasse over funding for President Trump’s border wall. The president scuttled a December deal that did not include more than $5 billion for the border wall leading to the partial shutdown starting Dec. 22. Approximately 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed or working without pay ever since.
Trump and Democrats met at the White House in a two-hour meeting Friday that Trump called “very, very productive” though Trump said he had also warned them the shutdown, which Saturday entered its third week, could be long. Trump has said he wouldn’t sign an appropriations bill that lacks border wall funding, while Democrats passed two spending bills in the House without the wall money earlier this week.
