“We made some progress, but we still have a good number of disagreements.”
As a potential government shutdown looms, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said “some progress” was made during a private meeting Friday with President Donald Trump about keeping the government open, noting there were still “a good number of disagreements” to sort through.
“We made some progress, but we still have a good number of disagreements,” Schumer told reporters after the meeting with President Trump. “The discussions will continue.”
Schumer noted he and the president covered all the “major outstanding issues” holding up the funding bill, including immigration and other priorities such as disaster relief, but he said no deal was made.
Many Republicans were uneasy about the meeting between Schumer and Trump, instead holding firm in support of the short-term spending bill that passed the House on Thursday and would fund the government until Feb. 16.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S. C.), however, endorsed the meeting as “welcome news” on Twitter:
Glad to see @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and Sen. Schumer sitting down and talking. This is welcome news to American people, military, DACA recipients.
Let’s see if two New Yorkers can agree on a deal good for USA.
I believe – in America – anything is still possible.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 19,2018
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) echoed that sentiment to The Washington Post, saying she felt the invitation to meet was “made with the idea of being constructive.”
Unless a deal is made prior to midnight Friday, the government will close. A government shutdown causing employee leaves of absence has never occurred under unified party control of Congress and the White House.
