Political Quotes

“I think Senator Schmitt said it perfectly. We are actually not very close as it relates to the question of ICE funding, and he made that crystal clear. I won't repeat his words. They were forceful. They were not conciliatory. And he said, essentially: We will be damned if we adopt those Democrats' demands. So what has been happening is the White House and Democrats in Congress have been trading paper, submitting offers back and forth, and it was relatively professional. But, on substance, we are actually as far apart as Senator Schmitt is describing. We are not that close. So if everybody agrees on that, that we are not that close, that it is not like negotiations have shut down, but they are a little stalled--these things sometimes stall. Sometimes they pick up again, and sometimes they stall. Sometimes you are trading offers every 6 to 12 hours, and sometimes you are trading offers every 6 to 12 days. It doesn't mean a negotiation is not happening; it means it is happening as we transmit legislative text from one party to the other. The idea that the only way we can convey that we are negotiating is with a meeting in person is like literally not the way this place works. There are a million ways to negotiate. Sometimes you negotiate live fire drill, Senate floor. Sometimes it is in the cloakroom. Sometimes it is in the leader's office. Sometimes it is in committee. Sometimes it is by email. We are in a negotiation; however, we are not close.”