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Schumer Meets Trump at White House to Attempt Shutdown Dodge

Minority leader floats 3-day CR, official says

Schumer. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Schumer. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer left the Capitol for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Friday afternoon with a chance to broker a government shutdown-averting deal with President Donald Trump — and without Republican lawmakers in the room.

Schumer told Roll Call he hoped he could reach a deal with his outer-borough New York counterpart in the White House and keep the government operating past midnight Friday, when the current continuing resolution expires.

Schumer floated a three-day continuing resolution, according to a White House official. But the White House is not receptive at this point.

“So Chuck Schumer won’t support a four-week CR without DACA in it, but he wants a three-day CR without DACA in it?” the White House official said with a furrowed brow, referring to a fix for the Obama-era program to protect individuals brought here illegally by their parents.

A GOP aide piled on.

McConnell, Durbin Make Their Case As Shutdown Looms

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“It’s a major concern,” the aide said of the private Trump-Schumer meeting. “House leadership is playing coy about calling a play on whether to stay or go. They are leaving it at telling members to stay flexible. There is real concern something nefarious is afoot. What Trump needs to do is bring Schumer to the White House, bring all cameras in and publicly shame him.”

Meanwhile, House Democrats leaving a caucus meeting said their leadership emphasized the importance of staying in Washington until the government is funded.

They were told six Senate Republicans plan to vote against the latest CR, according to California Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas.

Trump will not travel to South Florida at all on Friday, the White House announced. He was still hoping to get out of Washington at some point, but the looming government shutdown changed his potential departure from a ‘maybe’ to a ‘no.’

Ryan McCrimmon and Lindsey McPherson contributed to this report.Watch: A Bowl of Dog Doo, Henry VIII and S-Holes: Congressional Hits and Misses

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