Senate rejects rival plans for ending shutdown, talks start

WASHINGTON (AP) — A splintered Senate swatted down competing Democratic and Republican plans for ending the 34-day partial government shutdown today, but the twin setbacks prompted a burst of bipartisan talks aimed at temporarily halting the longest-ever closure of federal agencies and the damage it's inflicting around the country.

In the first serious talks in weeks, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., quickly called Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to his office to explore potential next steps for solving the vitriolic stalemate. Senators from both sides floated a plan to reopen agencies for three weeks and pay hundreds of thousands of beleaguered federal workers while bargainers hunt a deal.

At the White House, President Donald Trump told reporters he'd support "a reasonable agreement." He suggested he'd also want a "pro-rated down payment" for his long-sought border wall with Mexico, a term he didn't describe and which drew opposition from Democrats.

He said he has "other alternatives" for getting wall funding, an apparent reference to his disputed claim he could declare a national emergency and fund its construction using other programs in the federal budget.

"At least we're talking about it. That's better than it was before," McConnell told reporters in one of the most encouraging statements heard since the shutdown began Dec. 22.

It was initially unclear whether the flurry would produce results. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., whose relationship with Trump seems to have soured daily, told reporters a "big" down payment would not be "a reasonable agreement." Asked if she knew how much money Trump meant, Pelosi said, "I don't know if he knows what he's talking about."

Contributing to the pressure on lawmakers was the harsh reality confronting 800,000 federal workers, who on Friday face a second two-week payday with no paychecks.