Republicans are wavering as the partial government shutdown reaches 35 days and polls show President Trump absorbing the bulk of the blame. On Thursday, six GOP senators peeled off to vote in favor of a bill to reopen the government with no additional wall funding, compared to only one Democrat who voted in favor of Trump's proposed immigration deal. Both "messaging votes" failed in the Senate, as expected (The Hill). But the real drama happened behind closed doors, where GOP senators – from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on down – vented their frustration to Vice President Pence and demanded that Trump bring the shutdown to an end as soon as possible. From The Hill's Alexander Bolton: One of the most remarkable moments during the Senate luncheon came when McConnell told Pence that shuttering the government to try to secure funding for a border wall was not a smart approach. "McConnell talked about how we need to bring this process to a close; we should never have had a shutdown; they don't work; I've said this numerous times; I don't know how many times I've told you there's no education in the second kick of a mule," said a GOP source familiar with the meeting. The Washington Post: GOP senators clash over shutdown blame. Here's where things stand: The White House Pressure is growing on Trump after his proposal went down in the Senate and GOP senators vented their frustration to the vice president. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says he spoke to the president on Thursday and urged him to consider temporarily reopening the government while negotiations over wall money continue. Trump said he would consider a three-week continuing resolution – if it includes "some sort of pro-rated down payment on the wall." White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the down payment would have to be "large." Senate Democrats and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shot that down immediately. "This is not a reasonable agreement." – Pelosi Trump also said he has "other alternatives" he's considering. One of these options is to declare a national emergency. The Senate McConnell and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) huddled immediately after the dueling bills went down in the Senate, a sign of the sudden urgency to find a compromise. A bipartisan group of moderates is pitching a three-week stopgap bill, hoping that Trump will agree to temporarily reopen the government while negotiations continue (The Hill). There was also some talk about "broadening negotiations" in hopes of finding new incentives that could lead to a way out. "I actually think the president will have moved this process forward … by beginning the process of expanding it so that we can reach a conclusion." – Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) Either way, Senate Republicans are growing restless and are eager to bring an end to the impasse, with wall money or not. "You can't [resolve the border dispute] when the government is shut down." – Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) "Compromise is not a dirty word. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength." — Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) The House Pelosi is riding it out. There was talk from some top Democrats about a counteroffer to Trump that would include billions of dollars for "smart wall" technology but nothing for a physical barrier. Pelosi disputed reports that House Democrats are preparing to offer anything additional to Trump (The Hill). "That's not true. That's not true. That's not true." – Pelosi The Hill: Dems strengthen hand in shutdown fight.
The Hill: Trump, GOP losing shutdown fight in court of public opinion. Federal workers impacted by the shutdown will miss their second consecutive paychecks on Friday. Tax filing season begins on Monday and could get messy (CNBC). | 
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