Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt held surprise discussions with Capitol Hill staff earlier this week to help make the legal case for using maintenance funds to keep national parks afloat during the shutdown, a move Democrats are saying demonstrates the administration’s resolve not to open the government.

Bernhardt visited with Natural Resources Committee staff from both sides of the aisle on Tuesday at a special briefing at Interior headquarters ostensibly meant for laying out the legal opinion that justifies Interior’s move to use maintenance money to pay park staff, according to Democratic and GOP committee aides privy to the meeting.