Pew Research: “As the longest federal government shutdown in the nation’s history continues, it’s not just around the nation’s capital that government workers have been affected. The majority of federal workers live and work far from Washington, with substantial numbers found in congressional districts scattered across the country – and represented by both Democratic and Republican members of Congress.”

“Looking at all current members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the average number of federal workers is roughly the same in districts represented by Democratic representatives (10,800) as it is in districts represented by Republican members (10,400)… (Similarly, there is little partisan difference in the median number of federal workers represented.)”

Playbook: “The White House sent a bunch of moderate House Democrats invitations to meet with the president… The idea is twofold: The White House is trying to show activity and is trying to look reasonable by hosting “negotiation” meetings. In a practical sense, it is also a play to try and build pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”

“We’re In uncharted waters here, since this is now by far the longest shutdown ever. It’s also the most intractable negotiation we’ve ever seen. So it stands to reason that the White House is trying to do something — anything — to unlock the negotiation. We’re skeptical this will work, at least immediately, because the House isn’t the Senate.”

“Any deal will have to be a Pelosi-Schumer-Trump production. Getting a few moderates to moan will grab cable headlines, but won’t change the fact that most House Democrats remain firmly opposed to President Trump and his wall, and Pelosi understands that better than anyone.”

“President Trump’s dismissals of his own party’s calls for compromise and his seeming indifference to shuttered federal agencies left the snowbound capital paralyzed Monday, with lawmakers in both parties scrambling to jump-start talks but increasingly uncertain about Trump’s interest in ending the longest government shutdown in history,” the Washington Post reports.

“Trump’s unyielding stance and lack of an evident plan to broker an end to the 24-day impasse comes at a fragile moment for his presidency, following a weekend at the White House during which he lashed out at critics large and small on Twitter and faced deeper scrutiny of his relationship with Russian leaders.”