The Washington Post calls it a "make-or-break" meeting, and it looks like it's officially broke: Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have pulled out of a planned meeting Tuesday with President Trump that was to also be attended by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, reports USA Today. The five planned to gather at the White House ahead of the Dec. 8 government funding deadline to discuss the ways forward: pass a short-term measure that would keep things riding along at current levels, get a spending bill passed, or allow a government shutdown. In a Tuesday morning tweet, Trump didn't sound overly optimistic about the meeting's prospects: "Meeting with 'Chuck and Nancy' today about keeping government open and working. Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don't see a deal!"
"Given that the President doesn't see a deal between Democrats and the White House, we believe the best path forward is to continue negotiating with our Republican counterparts in Congress instead," Pelosi and Schumer said in a statement. "Rather than going to the White House for a show meeting that won't result in an agreement, we've asked Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan to meet this afternoon." Trump's mention of illegal immigrants was likely a reference to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and the potential that Democrats will use the looming deadline as leverage to insist that any spending plan include money to continue DACA. A slew of other issues may be folded into this fight as well, including funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. More here. (More President Trump stories.)
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