Congressional staffers from both parties. The aim, to end the partial Government Shutdown. Now in its third week. The u. S. President warns the shutdown may drag on a year or more unless Congress Funds his border wall. And if they dont, donald trump said that he could get the pentagon to pay for it. Interesting develop. Cnns abby phillip has more from the white house. Reporter a contentious meeting at the white house leading to little progress and threats that the now two week old go. Shutdown could last much longer. You said in the meeting, this is him quoting you, i want to check, that the shutdown could go on for months or even a year or longer. Did you say that and i did. Is that your assessment of where we are . Absolutely i said that. I dont think that it will, but i am prepared. Im proud of doing what im doing. Reporter President Trump challenging democrats, agree to a deal or dn Border Security or might take extreme measures. Have you considered using Emergency Powers to grant yourself authority to build this wall without congressional approval and second yes, i have. You have . Yes, i have. And i can do it if i want. So you dont need congress alle congressional approval . No, we could do it. I havent done it. I may do it. But we could call a National Emergency. Reporter and democrats insisting the government needs to be open before they will even consider a compromise. It is very hard to see how progress will be made unless they open up the government. Reporter while not giving ground, the president says it could come down to this weekend. Were going to be meeting, ive designated a group, and well be meeting over the weekend that group to determine what were going to do about the wer border. Reporter adding i think weve come a long way. Reporter democrats also hinting hope is not gone. We made some progress. Reporter and there will be talks held this weekend the president said led by Vice President mike pences chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and also jared kushner. But both sides still seem where they were two weeks ago, and that could be why President Trump seemed to have very little to say to the 800,000 federal workers possibly going without pay for the foreseeable future. Anbby phillip, cnn, the white house. Airport security screeners are required to report to work without pay. That may be why 4uhundreds of tm called in sick this week, that according to several sources within the safety administration. The tsa insists the absences will not affect passenger safety. During a news event at the when you s friday, President Trump was asked about missing paychecks and his response focused on the border wall and security. Youre saying months and possibly a year for the shutdown. Do you have in mind a safety net for those who need their checks . The safety net is going to be having a Strong Border because well be safe. Many of the people youre discussing, i really believe that they agree with what were doing. But that is not entirely true. At least one federal Employee Labor Union is suing the government for requiring essential employees to work without pay during the partial shutdown. And its unions president called the situation inhumane. Erin burnett spoke with democratic congressman who also slammed the president s view of the federal workers. I think that is an incredible cynical view and assertion for the president to make. He is sacrificing the livelihood of these federal employees to this obsession with building a wall. That is not fair. It is not respectful. But the posture that the president is in right now is irresponsible and in my view takes failure of leadership. Several lawmakers from both sides of the aisle say it is time for their parties leaders to negotiate and make a deal. Manu raju spoke with a few of them. Reporter two weeks into the Government Shutdown and most lawmakers are digging in. While some are growing impatient and demanding a deal without funding for President Trumps border wall. On the republican side, congressman peter king sent a message to President Trump. Dont Pay Attention to house conservatives. The house should know he is listening to the freedom caucus. Reporter king joined with six House Republicans and democrats last night to reopen federal agencies shuttered over trumps demands for billions but sided with trump to reopen the department of homeland security. I thought it was wrong to hold those hundreds of thousands of employees hostage. I think the president and democrats should negotiate. Reporter and Susan Collins and cory gardner both facing potential difficult reelection bids also expressed their concerns. Calling on gop leaders to allow a vote on legislation reopening the government. And then talks over the wall to take place later. But Mitch Mcconnell says that wont happen without trumps support. The package presented yesterday can honly be seen as political posturing. It does not carry the support of the president. Reporter some democrats also growing impatient with House Speaker nchancy pelosis refus to compromise over the wall. So she should cut a deal essentially . In my opinion, i would i know that there are some people in my party that didnt agree. But there are people that are now not working and not getting paid. Reporter youre worried shes digging in too much . Everybody is digging in too much. And do you know who didnt like it . The vast majority of the american public. Reporter but sources say that most House Democrats were in no mood to budge. And even some of pelosis critics standing behind her. I completely support the speaker hes positi speakers position. Reporter Mitch Mcconnell returned saying perhaps if there is any news out of the meeting it was the fact that the discussions will continue at the staff level over the weekend. He said perhaps if any deal can be reached, perhaps it can be presented to the leadership by early next week even though there is a lot of pessimism that they can get to that point. Mitch mcconnell himself has pulled himself away from this process saying it is all up to the white house and the democrats to cut a deal. He says he is not involved but he says he wont put a bill on the floor that passed the house because it does not have the president s support. But interestingly at that news conference, mitch thmcconnell w not there. The president said it was because he was running the senate. Actually the senate was closed. The real reason . He was not even told about the press conference but he would have come had he known about it. Manu raju, cnn, capitol hill. Lets talk more about this on doigoing saga with that tasn linstat. Thanks for joining us. The president will meet with congressional leaders midmorning in washington, but friday he said he was prepared to keep the government shut down for months or years. A lot of people were taken back by that statement. Do you think he means that or is that bluster . Well, i dont think that he really means that because he tends to defeat a s to tweet a off the cuff. Last week he threatened to close the border ignoring the fact that u. S. And mexico do 600 billion in trait wide. And he said it could go months or years and he is not really thinking about the implications of that. This went on for months and months, you know, that would start to affect the department of defense even. And he wasnt really thinking when what that could mean to his base and National Security in general. But he has been very adamant about this wall and that he will do whatever it takes to build this wall and he wants to appear tough. And so when he makes statements like this is going to go on for months or years, it really appeals to his base because it makes them feel like he is going to go to the bat for building this wall no matter what. Right. He also said something that kind of indicated that he is being tough. He said on friday that he has the power to build the wall without congressional approval, that he could declare this a National Emergency. The question is, can he and would he . Right, that comment was just in response to a reporter asking him would he use Emergency Powers. And his answer was really frightening, that he could do so. He might look into it. I mean that is a major abuse of power. It is very scary. This is something that dictators do, they manufacture threats and then they try to rule by decree. I dont think that he is actually going to do it. Historically this has really only happened under Franklin Roosevelt and the depression, world war ii, the korean war. This is not a National Emergency going on. Both democrats and republicans agree that they want to improve Immigration Reform and Border Security is rnt for, bimportant building a wall is not a matter of National Security. He has tried to convince many people that it is, that there is an emergency at the border and Many Americans arent buying that argument. He likely has convinced much of his base. But what is at stake for President Trump here . If he works out a deal with the democrats that involves Border Security but not technically a wall, will that do irreparable harm visavis his base . It depends on the way that he is able to frame this. At the moment, he feels like he has to look as tough as possible which is why he was coming out with all these rhetoric about hes going to go months and months or possibly even a year to defend this claim that he will build this wall. He really wants to appear like he has won this fight somehow. And he was able to even shift the narrative about, okay, well, mexico was supposed to pay for the wall and he came up with the idea, well, this new trade agreement is going to pay for the wall. And he is able to convince his voters that actually it is mexico paying for the wall. So i think it really depends on how he thinks that he can frame this. If he can frame it in a way that makes it looks like he won, even though maybe he really didnt, that is really the one way out of this. And meantime 800,000 federal workers are without pay and were hearing the stories now about real problems they face because of that. Is so there are various scenarios to how this ends. The Washington Post gave these. The president caves, concessions from both side, maybe a big bargain, democrats support the wall in exchange for a path for dwroo d. R. E. A. M. Ers or it simply doesnt end. Which of those would you put your money on . I would put it something on in between the trump caves and democrats give him a bit of a concession. As i was saying, it all has to do with the way he thinks this looks to his base and to really the right wing media. He wants to look like he somehow won. He needs to save face some way. The democrats are not going to cave. They have made it very clear that they are not building this wall. They have all the leverage at the moment. And the democrats are really stronger on this than they have been in the previous years. They really, really are not going to compromise on the wall, but they have to make it looks like trump got something return so that he can finally agree to this and they can move on from this. Because it is already a shutdown that is going on, you know, weeks now. And it is really, really worrisome for those 800,000 workers that didnt know when their next paycheck is coming. I cant imagine. I really cant. And we know that there is another meeting in a few hours, perhaps you and i will talk again if there is anything that comes from that. Natasha, appreciate your insights. And we got another sign on friday that the russia investigation isnt over yet. Special counsel Robert Muellers federal grand jury has been extended. It has been working for 18 months already and its term was to expire over the weekend. It is not clear how long this extension is for, but it can be for up to six months. A u. S. Government official tells cnn that an american air strike in yemen is believed to have killed this man, described as an al qaeda operative. And he is believed to have helped orchestrate the bombing of the uss cole in yemen more than 18 years ago. That attack killed 17 american sailors and wounded 39 others. He was taken into yemen any yemeni custody twice but he escaped both times. More diplomats help to tree to free whalen. Well have the latest ahead. Either an engagement or a break up. Donald trump and kim jungun may seem like they are in a mutual admiration club, but what happens when the ahoneymoon is over. A source tells cnn the american arrested a week ago in russia for spying does not have apparent ties to any National Intelligence operations. Paul whelan is facing espionage charges, but his brother denies he is a spy. In the Washington Post, he wrote this paul is a kind and considerate brother, son and uncle and a generous and loyal friend. He travels as often as he can both for work and pleasure. He is many things to many people, but he is not a spy. Lets go now to sam kiley, he is in our Moscow Bureau where the latest. So his family, the whelan family, saying russia has this wrong. What has russia said about whelans arrest . Reporter well, officially very little indeed. This has been the new year period which perhaps has given officials a bit of a period of respite from having to engage in these issues. But there have been reports in the local media that we are have not been able to verify suggesting according to the Rosbalt News Agency that mr. Whelan was caught quote unquote red handed, that he was observed in receipt of an electronic memory device and that his hotel was then raided by the local Security Services in the Metropol Hotel next to the kremlin. But officials here are simply saying that he has been charged with espionage, that he is on remand, his lawyer is asking for bail because this is an investigation that could take sick mon six months before it comes to court. And mr. Whelan of course is getting a number of requests from his various nationalityies. He has seen already jon huntsman, the u. S. Ambassador here, and mike pompeo has weighed in saying that they were taking his case up at the highest level. But there is is no real evidence at all coming from the russians to substantiate their claim that he is a spy. They havent said indeed who even he may be accused of spying for, natalie. Right. And it could be complicated because you mentioned his various nationalities. He does hold four passports. Does that britain, ireland, canada and the u. S. Does that complicate the case for russia, it may have to deal with a lot of countries here . Yes, the uk has condemned the use of what they call a pawn in International Chess games of this sort. And that of course the United Kingdom especially and russia are locked in a very bitter relationship following the attempted poisoning of the former russian spy Sergei Skripal which resulted in the death of an innocent woman in the city of salisbury last year. There have been tit for tat expulsions between the brits and russians in terms of agents. So there is great tension there. The brits have asked for con sti still con stiaccess. And if they wanted to stir things up having four different nations all claiming ownership if you like of this problem simply makes it harder for them to sort out rather than for the russians. There is speculation inevitably both here and in washington and new york that perhaps he has been arrested with a view to having him used in an exchange, a spy spy exchange probably with maria butina who of course is the woman who is still in the United States accused of trying to infiltrate among other things the nra, but also characters like victor boot, very close connections to the Russian Secret Police here who is in an american jail. It is all very intriguing, isnt it. And next hour ill be talking with a former fbi special a little about the curious case of mr. Whelan. We appreciate it, sam kiley. Thank you. Sources tell cnn the u. S. Is already scouting out potential sites for a second summit between President Trump and kim jungun. The president is said to be encouraged by a letter he received from the north, but some say mr. Trump is falling for kim junguns flattery. Here is our brian todd with that. Reporter it just may be the oddest relationship in international relations. The american president repeatedly flattered by and flattering nekim jungun. Were doing very well. Reporter president elect trumps positive mention of his relationship with kim jungun came only about 48 hours after the president showed off the latest personal letter he got from the north korea dictator. There are nevare never writt letters like that. Reporter sources say that it was effusive, and that kim sends letters to trump to appeal to his ego. Especially at times when kim feels negotiations over his Nuclear Weapons have hit a plateau. Analysts agree kim is whispering in trumps ear. I think hes saying you, sir, are better than all of your predecessors, wiser, smarter, more clever, a better deal maker, you can did what none of your predecessors was able to do. Reporter experts believe kim jungun has compiled a personal bo dossier on how to work trump to try to get what he wants. Skills analysts say that were on full