Chuck Schumer recounts the art of Democrats' deal with Trump

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and New York Senator Chuck Schumer both said they had reached a bipartisan agreement alongside President Trump on Wednesday to avoid government shutdown and free up resources for Hurricane Harvey victims. (Sept. 6)
AP

WASHINGTON — Just after striking a deal with Democrats this week, President Trump asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer whether they could step outside the Oval Office and talk to the news media.

But this time, the notoriously camera-ready Schumer said he wasn’t so sure.

“I said, ‘Well, Mr. President I don’t know exactly what you’d say and then I might have to respond, so maybe we shouldn’t,’ ” said the New York senator, recounting the light-hearted exchange in a Friday interview with USA TODAY. “He laughed.”

Who could have predicted Trump’s decision to side with Democrats in that Wednesday meeting? Thanks to a telephoto lens, Getty Images’ Alex Wong captured the moment through an Oval Office window in a now-viral image of Schumer pointing a forefinger at Trump’s face while Trump smiles and embraces Schumer — after giving Democrats pretty much everything they wanted.

Against the wishes of his party’s congressional leaders, who were also in the room, Trump endorsed Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s short-term plan to increase the nation’s debt limit and fund the federal government for the next three months along with providing aid for hurricane victims. The package goes to Trump’s desk for his signature after passing the Senate on Thursday and the House on Friday.

They also discussed working together on other issues, including legislation to eliminate the debt ceiling altogether and to create a path forward for DREAMers, undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

At Pelosi’s urging, Trump on Thursday tweeted that DREAMers shouldn’t worry about deportation over the next six months, the deadline Trump gave Congress to pass legislation to preserve their legal status. Pelosi said during a news conference Thursday that Trump told her twice that he would sign legislation to give them legal status.

Read more:

Trump suggests he’s working with Democrats because GOP can’t get anything done

House passes hurricane aid package with short-term government funding, debt-ceiling increase

Trump’s alignment with Democrats has riled many Republicans, who believe he gave Democrats an upper hand in negotiations on other issues in December when the threat of a government shutdown and a default on the nation’s debt looms yet again. They had hoped to pass a longer-term debt-ceiling increase and deal with the hurricane aid separately.

“Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi now have most of the cards for when we get to December,” Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said in a Thursday Senate floor speech. “This is an embarrassing moment for a Republican-controlled Congress and a Republican administration.”

Trump on Thursday agreed that the deal signaled more bipartisanship and a different relationship with more dialogue. He spoke of “Chuck” and “Nancy” instead of “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer.”

“I think you are going to see a much stronger coming together,” he said, according to a pool report.

Schumer said it was “a good moment” that he hopes will continue.

“I think he was a little tired of the partisanship, too, even though frankly he caused some of it,” Schumer said, laughing.

The meeting, also attended by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., marked Trump’s first with top congressional leaders from both parties. After not seeing Trump in person since January, Schumer met with him twice at the White House this week within 48 hours.

On Thursday, governors of New York and New Jersey and other congressional members were also at the White House with Schumer to discuss the massive Amtrak-led Gateway tunnel project that would replace and build a new $20 billion train tunnel under the Hudson River.

“He now understands the importance of Gateway,” Schumer said. “He didn’t give us a commitment but he seemed pretty favorable and said he would get back to us in a couple of days.”

The federal spending and debt-ceiling deal averted — at least for now — a potential financial crisis. Federal officials had said the government would run out of money to pay its bills by the end of September if Congress didn’t increase the debt limit. Funding for government operations was set to expire on Oct. 1.

While Republicans sought a long-term debt-ceiling increase, Schumer said that idea “would give one party a real advantage over the other.” He said it would be better for the country if the debt-ceiling increase and government spending resolution expired together, forcing bipartisan solutions. Regardless of the outcome, Schumer said, Democrats would have voted for hurricane aid.

“You could see, as the president was listening to the arguments, I think he had not made up his mind what to do when the meeting started,” Schumer said. “He didn’t say that, but that’s my guess from looking at the body language …”

Ryan argued against the Democrats’ plan while McConnell sat “very quietly,” Schumer said. McConnell said he would back the package after Trump made the deal.

“I was surprised, pleasantly surprised,” Schumer said. “And then I said, ‘This debt-ceiling idea is not a great idea because we are only talking about paying the bills we have already incurred. Why don’t we just get rid of it permanently?’ And he said, ‘I like that idea.’ ”

They agreed to work together on legislation in December.

“He’s not going to do everything we want, and … we’re not going to sacrifice our principles,” Schumer said. “Here’s what I told him: ‘I am not going to obstruct for obstruction’s sake … but we will come to agreements when we can actually agree on principles.’ And hopefully that will happen more.”

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