On the recordJanuary 19, 2018
very sadly, we are on the precipice of a government shutdown. The majority leader only just allowed us to vote on a continuing resolution that he knew lacked the votes long before this hour. It is not just Democrats who oppose this CR; several Republicans did as well. All of today, we have endeavored to reach an agreement with President Trump and the Republicans that would have not only spared a government shutdown but cemented an agreement on spending caps, including those for our military, the healthcare issues, disaster relief, and immigration issues. President Trump reached out to me this morning to invite me to the White House to talk over all of these issues, and I accepted. We had a lengthy and substantive discussion. During the meeting, in exchange for strong DACA protections, I reluctantly put the border wall on the table for discussion. Even that was not enough to entice the President to finish the deal. Many Democrats don't want to go that far on the border. Many Republicans don't either. But we were willing to compromise with the President to get an agreement. In the room, it sounded like the President was open to accept it. This afternoon, in my heart, I thought we might have a deal tonight. That was how far we had come. That is how positive our discussion felt.…
