House adjourns without clear path to avert shutdown

The House adjourned on Friday evening without a clear path forward on a deal to avert a partial government shutdown, as lawmakers continue to wrestle over funding for President Trump’s border wall.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has advised members that there are currently no votes scheduled for Saturday but lawmakers should stay in town as Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown.

The California Republican said he will provide members with “ample” warning time before they call another vote on government funding, which is set to expire at midnight Friday for a number of key agencies and departments.

McCarthy later told reporters he is advising members to stay in town while they wait to see the outcome of negotiations in the Senate, where there are also no more votes expected on Friday night before the shutdown deadline.{mosads}

“I don’t see more votes until the Senate acts,” McCarthy said on the House floor on Friday. His comments came after Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) requested guidance on timing of a possible vote.

Lawmakers are attempting to hash out a deal that would fund about 25 percent of the federal government amid diverging views over providing funding for President Trump’s requested border wall.

The House passed legislation Wednesday evening that would provide $5.7 billion in border security and border wall funding. But the measure does not have the support needed to make it through the Senate.

“There is no path forward for the House bill,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said on the Senate floor on Friday evening.

The scheduling announcement came after Vice President Pence and White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and then with House GOP leadership, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in an attempt to find a path forward.

Pence and Mulvaney were headed back over to the Senate from the House side on Friday evening, but there was still no clear outcome on a potential deal.

Senators agreed to advance the House-passed funding bill on Friday evening as part of a last-ditch effort to make room for negotiations on how to prevent the partial shutdown.

Updated: 5:24 p.m.