Trump, lawmakers meet to discuss shutdown

UPDATE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asked President Donald Trump to delay his State of the Union address until the partial government shutdown ends. In a letter Wednesday, Pelosi also gave the president the option of delivering his annual report to lawmakers in writing. The speaker expressed concern that the government could not provide adequate security for the event during the partial shutdown, but other Democrats interpreted the move as political punishment for Trump’s refusal to approve a budget that does not include funding for a wall at the U.S. southern border. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., tweeted the president “will not be permitted to deliver his state of the union address until government is reopened. Welcome to life in the New Democratic Majority. Get used to it.” Trump’s State of the Union address is scheduled for Jan. 29.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (1:10 p.m.): WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday for talks about border security in hopes of working toward a compromise to reopen closed government departments. The group, dubbed the “Problem Solvers Caucus,” includes moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

Wednesday is Day 26 of the partial government shutdown. Trump, Democrats, and Republicans remain entrenched in their original positions on a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have refused to approve a federal budget with more than $1.3 billion for border security. Schumer said Tuesday he has not spoken with Trump since their last meeting a week ago, according to Politico. That meeting ended early and abruptly when Pelosi said she wouldn’t support the border wall even if the government reopened, and Trump walked out.

A group of moderate House Democrats declined an invitation to the White House on Tuesday afternoon. Instead, eight Republicans met with the president. “If you don’t show up at the table, how in the world are you ever going to come up with a solution?” asked Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill.

Congress may cancel a recess scheduled for next week if the shutdown continues. Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., have told reporters they anticipate keeping lawmakers in Washington if the government remains partially closed.

The IRS said Tuesday it had recalled about 46,000 of its employees to process tax returns and refunds. For now, they will work without pay.