Government Shutdown: Offices Closed Monday With Noon Vote Planned

WASHINGTON, DC – The government shutdown will continue into a third day with the first real effects expected to be felt. Hundreds of thousands of workers are staying home as hopes to find a solution on Sunday were dashed.

While a vote to reopen government had been scheduled for 1 a.m. on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has postponed it until at least noon.

Officials say that the vote is likely to be on a plan crafted by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) after a day meeting with dozens of their colleagues from both sides of the aisle.

McConnell says that under their proposal, if there is no agreement on a fix to the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program by February 8th – and the government stays open – he would open the Senate for debate on immigration and border security.

"Let’s step back from the brink," McConnell told reporters. "Let's stop victimizing the American people and get back to work on their behalf."

It may not be that easy.

Democrats are mindful of the fact that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) has not committed to supporting the Graham-Flake plan and in 2013, when the Senate did pass comprehensive immigration reforms, it died in the House.

"We have yet to reach an agreement on a path forward that would be acceptable for both sides," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said Sunday night, adding that talks would continue until Monday's vote.

While the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government and keep it open for another four weeks, the Senate failed to pass the bill on Friday night, forcing the government to shut down for the first time since 2013.

While the White House was quick to label it, the "Schumer Shutdown," Schumer took the floor of the Senate Chamber to say it is "the Trump Shutdown" and blame lays squarely at the president's feet.

• See also: What Happens In A Government Shutdown? 7 Things To Know

Another problem facing the Democrats is that even McConnell were to bring immigration open to debate and the House were to pass it, there's no guarantee on what the president will or won't do.

On Friday, Trump had asked Schumer to meet with him at White House.

While there, Schumer put funding for the president's border wall on the table and left the meeting feeling optimistic only to find out later that there would be no deal.

After Schumer left the White House, Democrats believe that Trump was pigeonholed by his advisor Stephen Miller and Chief of Staff John Kelly, both of whom are considered hardliners on immigration and both of whom are said to be opposed to anything that would extend DACA.

Except for a few tweets, Trump – who as a private citizen during the 2013 shutdown, hammered President Obama, saying it was up to the president to get everyone in a room and hammer out a deal – has been absent from public view.

Meanwhile, his campaign committee upped the tension with Democrats when they released an online ad stating "Democrats who stand in our way will be complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants."

On Meet the Press, White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short tried to say the White House was not involved with the ad, saying it was done by a "political organization."

Image of a casually-dressed Senator Graham on Sunday with Senator Flake behind him via Drew Angerer/Getty Images News/Getty Images.