House and Senate leadership announced Thursday that no votes are expected for the remainder of the week, leaving the government partially shut down without any agreed-upon funding measure to pass.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 11: U.S. President Donald Trump (2R) argues about border security with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (R) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as Vice President Mike Pence sits nearby in the Oval Office on December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
The new Congress is scheduled to be sworn in next Thursday, and lawmakers appear no closer to reaching a funding agreement since adjourning before Christmas. (Related: Federal Employees Won’t Lose Their Paychecks For Weeks Under Shutdown)
The Senate is now scheduled to convene for a Pro Forma session on Monday morning the day before the new year. The upper chamber is expected to convene again on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump reportedly worked the phones at the White House over the Christmas holiday, calling lawmakers to discuss ways to cut a deal.
The border wall funding is the primary focus over the budget fight that has closed nine federal departments and several other agencies since Saturday, forcing around 800,000 federal employees to go on furlough or work without pay.
A spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, The Washington Post reported, said Democrats will likely put a funding bill on the floor that does not include money for the border wall on the floor on Jan. 3, the first day of the new session of Congress when the Democrats take the majority.
President Trump tweeted at the Democrats for rejecting the border wall, saying Thursday, “Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border. Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country. Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?” (Related: ‘I Totally Agree!’ — Trump Trolls Obama On Illegal Immigration Issue)
He later went on to say, “This isn’t about the Wall, everybody knows that a Wall will work perfectly (In Israel the Wall works 99.9%). This is only about the Dems not letting Donald Trump & the Republicans have a win. They may have the 10 Senate votes, but we have the issue, Border Security. 2020!”