Senate leaders cautiously optimistic about border deal, as Republicans pressure Trump to get on board

The top leaders of the Senate from both parties were upbeat but cautious Tuesday about the "tentative deal" or "agreement in principle," as they described it, that was reached by negotiators late Monday to fund more border security and prevent another government shutdown.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer -- as well as several Republican senators -- are urging President Donald Trump to sign the bill, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made no mention of the President and said he hopes to move it through the Senate in "short order."

Following the longest shutdown in US history, Republicans as well as Democrats sought to pressure the President to prevent another one. Asked if the GOP should accept a deal, Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia said "Shutdowns are bad, period."

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told reporters that "absolutely" Trump should sign the proposal -- and she renewed her concern about the option for the President to declare a national emergency to build Trump's wall, saying there's no grounds for doing so.

Funding for 25% of the federal government runs out Friday, and negotiators have been hammering out a deal for weeks that addresses funding for the Department of Homeland Security and how to address Trump's campaign promise of a border wall. After stalling out over the weekend, negotiators announced a deal last night that included $1.375 billion for barrier funding that will cover roughly 55 miles of new barrier, though there are restrictions on what exactly that money can be used for.

Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said he flew back to Washington on Monday night accompanying the President on Air Force One, following a rally in El Paso.

"He is not ecstatic over the deal but I do think he's reviewing his options," Cornyn said. "I flew back with him last night, he didn't make any declarative statements about what his intentions are but obviously it's a compromise, and with compromises everybody's a little bit unhappy."

To get the deal, McConnell noted that Democrats backed off their "extreme position" on the number of detention beds -- a key sticking point that scuttled negotiations over the weekend -- and the Kentucky Republican praised the proposal because it would fund "miles of new border barriers."

"It provides new funds for miles of new border barriers. And it completes all seven outstanding appropriations bills, so Congress can complete a funding process for all the outstanding parts of the federal government with predictability and certainty," McConnell said in his opening remarks from the Senate floor.

"As we speak, our colleagues are working hard to produce full legislative text," McConnell continued. "I look forward to reviewing the full text as soon as possible and hope the Senate can act on this legislation in short order."

The bill must now pass both chambers of Congress and Trump must sign it in order to avert a shutdown. Whether Trump will accept the deal -- that has far less than the more than $5 billion he demanded for the wall, which led to the last shutdown -- is a key question. The White House said earlier Tuesday that Trump is continuing to weigh his options -- which still include taking executive action to secure funding for a wall.

Trump told reporters a government shutdown is unlikely at the end of the week, even if a funding agreement isn't fully satisfactory.

"I don't think you're going to see a shutdown," Trump said. "If you did have it, it's the Democrats' fault."

Schumer said "months of shutdown politics must come to an end" with this agreement.

"We now have a bipartisan proposal to accomplish our goals to better secure the border and avoid another senseless government shutdown. I don't know the details, but the parameters are good," Schumer said. "We must not have a rerun of what happened a few months back where legislators, Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, agreed and President Trump pulled the rug out from under the agreement and caused a shutdown."

By Ted Barrett and Manu Raju, CNN. The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

The Gayly – February 12, 2019 @ 12:10 p.m. CST.