Republicans could end this shutdown if they really wanted to do so. Before the last session of Congress ended, the Senate passed a bill to fund the government until early February, which did not include any funding for Trump’s border wall. The bill was poised to pass in the House, and Senate Republicans, after having lunch with Vice President Mike Pence, said they were confident Trump would sign the spending bill. But Trump then said he would refuse to accept a stopgap measure that did not include funds for his wall, and while the House managed to pass a new bill that included the $5 billion in border wall funding, it was dead on arrival in the Senate.

If Senate Republicans decided to pass the original version of the bill before Trump intervened, it would likely pass in the House and place immense pressure on the President to end the longest government shutdown in US history. And should he veto the legislation, two-thirds of the House and Senate could override it. Republicans would have to show where they stand. Would they support the President and the ongoing shutdown or work with Democrats to reopen government?