Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he has not been “sidelined” in talks to reopen parts of the government but that he has “no particular role” to play in ending the standoff, a responsibility he said falls to President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats who wield expanded power in the new Congress.
Since he donned a Christmas sweater on the Senate floor 13 days ago – a sign that he wanted to fund the government before the holiday – the long-serving Republican leader has diligently distanced himself from negotiations to end the shutdown. He had opposed shutting down the government and seemingly succeeded in avoiding it until Trump abruptly reversed course and said he would not sign a continuing resolution without $5 billion for the border wall.