comes to that. so let me start with you. the president said today that he told those congressional leaders that he'd be willing to let this go on for months, maybe even a year. what is your -- do you think it is realistically possible this thing? we're measuring it in two weeks right now. is it possible this could stretch on into months? >> i think that's absurd. i think what we need to do is actually stay the table, both sides, and keep working together until we get the government reopened. i just don't understand. we passed this week out of the house legislation to reopen the government. one of the first moves the democrats did this week. it's going to go to the senate. it's what they passed a couple weeks ago in a bipartisan way. it passed this week in a bipartisan way, including members of the problem solvers caucus which carlos was a member of until recently. i don't see why we can't get together and get the government back open. >> is that the democratic position now? because it sounded like listening to the democratic leaders today saying they went into that meeting telling the