President Trump on Tuesday afternoon hosted Republican senators for a Rose Garden lunch as the government shutdown hits its three-week mark with no endgame in sight.
He discussed the ongoing demolition of the White House East Wing and took time to rip Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who was the only Republican senator not in attendance.
“We’re just missing one person. You’ll never guess who that it is,” Trump said. “He automatically votes no on everything. He thinks it’s good politics. It’s not good politics.”
Another Senate vote on the House-pass funding bill will take place Wednesday amid the increasing pressure.
Increased delays at major airports are starting to make lawmakers squirm, after a tough weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday there were “increased staffing shortages across the system” on Sunday, backing up flights in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark, N.J.
And some GOP senators are uneasy with the Trump administration’s plan to cut off transportation funding to “blue states” like New York and Massachusetts during the government shutdown, warning that freezing funds as an apparent act of political retaliation is not appropriate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) addressed reporters, as has been customary, and also gathered the House GOP conference for a call on Tuesday. The House has been out of D.C. for over a month.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will give a press conference at 2 p.m. EDT.
Trump will also host a Rose Garden dinner as well as a Diwali celebration at the White House later Tuesday.
Follow along today for updates.
