(8 Jan 2019) With no breakthrough in sight, President Donald Trump will argue his case to the nation Tuesday night that a "crisis" at the U.S.-Mexico border requires the long and invulnerable wall he's demanding before ending the partial government shutdown.
This comes as hundreds of thousands of federal workers face missed paychecks Friday as the shutdown drags through a third week.
Trump's Oval Office speech, his first as president, will be followed by his visit Thursday to the southern border to highlight his demand for a barrier.
The administration is also at least talking about the idea of declaring a national emergency to allow Trump to move forward on the wall without Congress approving the $5.6 billion he wants.
AP's White House reporter Jill Colvin explains why the president is ramping up efforts to 'spolight' the border wall.
"There's real pressure on both sides but especially the president to find some type of off ramp here. It doesn't seem like the negotiations are going anywhere at all," said Colvin.
"Both sides are very dug in and so the White House has been exploring potential other options to get this wall built. The president insists it is needed without Congress by going around the typical congressional appropriations process."
As Trump's prime-time address and his border visit were announced, newly empowered House Democrats - and at least a few Republican senators, stepped up pressure on GOP lawmakers to reopen the government without giving in to the president's demands
The closure, which has lasted 17 days, is already the second-longest in history and would become the longest this weekend.
Leaning on Senate Republicans, some of whom are growing anxious about the impact of the shutdown, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would begin passing individual bills this week that would reopen federal agencies, starting with the Treasury Department to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds .
"The president is somebody who cares deeply about being able to say that he has won," said Colvin.
"At this point and in the weeks or days ahead depending on how long this last, the president is going to be increasingly desperate for a way that he can paint misses a win."

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