As Shutdown Talks Stall, Democrats Try a New Tactic to Open Some Agencies

Lawmakers and the White House have shown little progress despite extended weekend negotiations as the partial shutdown dragged into its third week on Monday, and eclipsed the length of the 16-day shutdown in 2013. House Democrats will seek to ramp up pressure on President Trump to reopen federal agencies by passing individual spending bills this week, allowing them to push the message that Republicans are refusing to allow specific government operations to function. They will move the Financial Services and General Government appropriations measure first, which includes funding for the Treasury Department, the Office of Personnel Management, the General Services Administration and other agencies. The bill also includes a 1.9 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2019, as was negotiated by both parties and chambers last year.