Democrats could demand other concessions from the White House, such as protections for immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children, known as Dreamers, or changes to other spending provisions. Trump said he wanted to help on the Dreamer issue but preferred to wait for a Supreme Court ruling on it first.
Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin reacted coolly to Trump's suggestion of declaring a national emergency. "I don't know what he's basing this on, but he's faced so many lawsuits when he ignores the law and ignores tradition and precedent," Durbin said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Large chunks of the federal government were shut down on Dec. 22 after lawmakers and the president hit an impasse over Trump's demand that a bill to keep the federal government operational include money to help build a $23 billion wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. About 800,000 government workers are either furloughed or working without pay.
"I can relate," Trump, a former New York businessman, said when asked if he could relate to the pain of federal workers struggling to pay their bills. "I'm sure that the people that are on the receiving end will make adjustments." Asked if workers would get paid on Friday, Trump said: "We'll see whether or not it's settled."
Not all Republicans agree with Trump's insistence on keeping government agencies shuttered until the border debate is resolved.
"It is not a sign of weakness to try to figure out a middle ground, and I think that both sides need to indicate a willingness to listen and to compromise,” U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on NBC. She called the debate over using steel versus concrete "bizarre."
House Democrats plan to pass a series of bills this week to reopen government, breaking up legislation they have already approved in a bid to get Republicans to agree to reopen certain agencies, Hoyer said on "Meet the Press."
"We need to open up government and then negotiate. Not the other way around," he said.
