Vice President Mike Pence, speaking to “Fox News Sunday,” said Republicans “of course” remain willing to negotiate further on the border funding compromise proposed by President Trump on Saturday, even as Pence charged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has committed to a “disappointing” strategy of “soundbites” for nearly a month.
Pence’s comments came as Fox News has learned that Senate Republicans were scrambling on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to put together a bill tracking Trump’s proposal to end the ongoing partial federal government shutdown.
“It was disappointing to see Speaker Pelosi reject the offer before the president gave his speech” on Saturday, Pence said. “The president is offering a solution. And what we have from Democrats’ leadership is just soundbites.”
The text of a bill — which is slated to include protections for 700,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, $5.7 billion Trump has been seeking for a barrier along the nation’s southern border with Mexico, and extended protections for 300,000 recipients of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program — should be ready on Monday, Fox News has learned.
Asked whether Republicans can garner 60 votes in the Senate to defeat a possible Democratic filibuster of the bill, though, Pence was noncommittal.
“As the president often says, ‘We’ll see,’” Pence said, noting that Republicans have 53 votes in the chamber.- READ MORE