No shutdown solution in sight

While the gap seems to be narrowing in the dispute over border wall funding that shut down a quarter of the government on Saturday, it remains unclear when and how it will be resolved. White House budget director and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said President Donald Trump made a counteroffer to Senate Minorty Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Mulvaney said the White House was waiting to hear back on the offer, which was between Trump’s original request of $5.7 billion and the $1.3 billion Democrats proposed.

“It’s very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress,” Mulvaney said. The House and Senate are schedule to meet again Thursday.

Democratic senators, including Schumer, suggested that the two sides were still far from reaching agreement. Trump postponed plans to spend Christmas at his Florida estate to remain in Washington, D.C. About 800,000 federal employee schedules were disrupted. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Friday the city would remain open during the shutdown to minimize its effect on residents and visitors.