The White House didn’t say who attended but said that the Jan. 16 meeting was fruitful.
“The President and his team had a constructive meeting with bipartisan members of the problem solvers caucus. They listened to one another and now both have a good understanding of what the other wants. We look forward to more conversations like this,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
The Democrat attendees were later identified as Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Vincente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Max Rose (D-N.Y.), and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.).
All were newly invited apart from Spanberger, who failed to attend the Jan. 15 meeting.
Spanberger, for instance, said she’s getting feedback that Democrats aren’t putting enough emphasis on border security.
Brindisi has also been vocal about trying to find a deal that both Republicans and Democrats can approve that will end the partial government shutdown.
“I’ve been meeting with several representatives from across the country, both Democrats and Republicans,” he added. “And I’ve been trying to force leadership on both sides of the aisle to work out a compromise to this shutdown.”
Few representatives who met with Trump appear to have said how it went. Spanberger told reporters that it was “productive” but declined to elaborate.
Some issued statements beforehand.
“Congress has offered meaningful solutions and it’s time for the President to end this shutdown so that we can get to the work of securing our borders and ports and passing comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform,” Phillips said. “That is the message I will carry to The White House today.”
Friends Read Free