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Senate Vote To Prevent Government Shutdown Fails

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) -- A Republican-backed short-term spending bill to fund the government failed to pass the Senate on Friday night.

The Senate voted on the stop-gap measure to keep the government funded through Feb. 16. But the GOP failed to get the 60 votes needed to vote on a bill that would have funded the government for 30 days.

As CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported, President Donald Trump worked the phones in a bid to get the bill passed, but foreshadowed the outcome on Twitter at around 9:30.

Democrats were demanding concessions on immigration to protect the so-called Dreamers, the young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. They rallied outside the Capitol, speaking out about the program which is set to expire in March.

Democrats want to ensure Dreamers are allowed to stay in the country and want the assurance to be part of the budget deal.

"They teach in our schools, they serve in our hospitals, they're our first responders," Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said.

Trump argued that a DACA fix must be paired with stricter immigration reforms including funding for a border wall.

Republicans say the legislation should be separate from the government funding bill.

Many in the GOP are blaming the situation on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York).

Schumer met with President Trump at the White House Friday afternoon following an invitation from the president, CBS News confirmed.

"Shutdown is ridiculous, and I'm old enough to remember four years ago, Schumer said you don't hold the government hostage to politics, it would be chaos if there was a shutdown, and here we are at a shutdown of his own making," Cory Gardner (R-CO) said.

After the meeting, Schumer said "some progress" was made but a "good number of disagreements" remain.

"We had a long and detailed meeting, we discussed all the major outstanding issues. We made some progress, but we still have a good number of disagreements. The discussions will continue," he said.

After the House passed the bill Thursday night, Speaker Paul Ryan said "the only people standing in the way of keeping the government open are Senate Democrats."

The failed vote means the government will shut down early Saturday, the first government shutdown since 2013, CBS News reported.

"I am trying to get us to come together in a bipartisan nature to get something done," said Schumer.

Speaking to reporters Friday, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said he was putting the chances of a shutdown "between 50 and 60 percent" but said "we're planning for it as though it's 100 percent.''

"We don't want this. We do not want a shutdown," Mulvaney said. "But if Mr. Schumer insists on it, he is in a position to force this on the American people."

Also speaking Friday, Rep. Nancy Pelosi said "we believe in meeting the needs of the American people."

"The Democrats are not about shutting down government," she said.

On Twitter earlier Friday morning, Trump said "Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate - but they want illegal immigration and weak borders. Shutdown coming?"

Despite the shutdown, TSA agents and air traffic controllers will remain on the job and the interior department will keep national parks and monuments open. But many other government services would cease.

Hundreds of thousands of non-essential government workers will go on unpaid leave. Active duty military will go to work, but will not get paid, and the CDC will not have enough personnel to support its annual flu program.

The White House says the president will stay in Washington until a funding bill is passed. He was set to leave Friday afternoon for Florida.

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