Senate Republicans are set to attend lunch with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the plans confirmed to CBS News. The lunch is expected to be held in the White House Rose Garden.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, told reporters Monday that although he didn’t know the lunch agenda, “I know the president’s been real good about reaching out and making sure that Republicans are working all on the same page.”
“I think most of the conversation is what happens next after the Democrats decide to reopen the government and get off the Schumer shutdown,” Mullin said.
The lunch comes as Mr. Trump has largely remained on the outside of the shutdown dynamics. Asked whether the president needs to get more involved, GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida told reporters “it’s our job, it’s not the president’s job.”
“We’re the ones that pass the budgets,” Scott said. “It’s not his responsibility, it’s ours.”
— Nikole Killion, Cristina Corujo and Alan He
The Senate is not scheduled to vote on a House-passed measure to fund the government today after failing to advance the bill for an eleventh time on Monday.
Senate Republicans have repeatedly brought the measure up for a vote, looking to peel off support from Democrats to reach a 60-vote threshold to advance the measure. But Republicans have been unable to win any new support for the measure since the shutdown began, though three senators have routinely crossed the aisle to vote to advance the measure.
Later this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is also expected to bring up a bill that would pay federal employees and military service members who have continued to work during the shutdown. But moving forward on the legislation would also require support from Democrats. Last week, Thune attempted an alternative approach to restart some funding with a procedural vote on an individual year-long appropriations bill to fund the Pentagon that was blocked by Democrats.
The Senate failed to advance a House-passed measure to reopen the government for an eleventh time on Monday in a 50 to 43 vote, falling short of the 60 yes votes needed. Seven senators did not vote.
GOP leaders had suggested in recent days that they may find more support from across the aisle after the weekend’s “No Kings” protests. Support from five more Democrats was needed to clear the hurdle. But no new Democrats voted in favor of advancing the bill Monday.
