Government shutdown 2018: Corker mediates between Schumer, McConnell

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker's office said he spent the afternoon mediating an agreement between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. 

The leaders announced Friday evening the Senate will only vote again when the White House and congressional leaders have reached a consensus on a spending bill.  

It is not clear when that agreement is expected to be reached.

The government is still headed to a federal shutdown Friday night without any agreement on the bill, but lawmakers said they hoped closures would be of a short duration. 

Corker's office also said he met with Vice President Mike Pence, incoming Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Senior White House Adviser Jared Kushner Friday. 

"The understanding that has been reached is that we’re not voting on anything else in this chamber relative to this issue until global agreement has been reached between the president and these leaders. What this does, I think, is push this ahead to a negotiation that yields a result and does the best we can to keep from shutting down the government," Corker said on the floor Friday. 

Pence cast the deciding vote from a tie to pass the policy 48-47.

"A government shutdown ought not to be part of budget discussions any more than chemical weapons should be a part of warfare," Sen. Lamar Alexander said in the Senate on Friday.

Sens. Corker and Alexander both said earlier in the day they oppose a rule change suggested by the president in order to pass a budget that would pay for a southern border wall.

What was on the table?

The rule change, known as a "nuclear option," requires the Senate only have a simple majority of 51 votes to end debate on legislation, rather than the usual 60.

"While rules changes may be in order at some point, I will continue to follow rules relative to legislation as they exist today as I finish my term," Corker tweeted Friday morning.

Corker, who did not seek another term, is completing his final duties as senator.

What does a shutdown mean?

In a lengthy statement released Friday morning, Alexander said that "the legislative filibuster — the requirement that it takes 60 votes to pass major legislation — protects the minority," which Republicans were in for most of the last 70 years.

“We are a nation that prizes the rule of law," Alexander said. "How can we expect Americans to follow the rules when their number one rule making institution, the U.S. Senate, will not follow its own rules?"

Natalie Allison contributed to this report. Reach reporter Mariah Timms at [email protected] or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.