Support among House Republicans began to crack Wednesday night before the Senate vote even occurred.Members of the House Freedom Caucus, some of the most conservative members of Congress, railed against the wall-less spending plan in a string of speeches on the House floor. The group's chairman, North Carolina Republican Mark Meadows, urged Trump to veto the spending measure, saying, "We're going to back you up. If you veto this bill, we'll be there."
The frustration grew Thursday morning during a closed-door meeting of House Republicans. Members emerged confused about the plan for the spending bill, telling reporters that the entire plan for a vote expected later in the day was up in the air.
Ryan stepped out of a closed-door meeting of GOP House members to take a phone call from the president. As that call stretched on, leadership members decided to cancel a regularly scheduled press briefing ahead of the White House meeting.
The spending measure, also known as a continuing resolution, would fund nine Cabinet-level departments and several independent agencies through Feb. 8, when Congress would again be forced to confront the issue. But Democrats, who will control the House in the next Congress, have adamantly refused to provide money for a wall.
In a speech Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he was "sorry that my Democratic colleagues couldn't put the partisanship aside and show the same good-faith flexibility that the president has shown in order to provide the resources our nation needs to secure the integrity of our borders as well as the safety of American families."
The temporary spending bill does include $1.3 billion for border security. Pelosi released a statement on Wednesday indicating she supports the stopgap bill, and it's likely most House Democrats will vote for the legislation.
Asked about the possible next steps after Thursday morning's developments, Pelosi told reporters she was reluctant to comment but then jabbed, saying we're in "the middle of a meltdown on the part of Republicans."
A presidential veto would mean that hundreds of thousands of federal employees including Border Patrol, FBI and DEA agents and TSA officers would continue to work over the Christmas holiday but without pay, while hundreds of thousands of other federal workers would be furloughed.