Article snippet: MORE will give a prime-time address Tuesday from the Oval Office to make his case for closing parts of the government over his demand for $5.7 billion in funding for a wall on the Mexican border. The president also plans to travel to the border on Thursday, a bellicose move reflecting the entrenched positions on both sides of the debate and one that almost certainly means the 18-day shutdown will continue into the weekend. Negotiations had come to a standstill even before the White House announcements about Trump’s address and border visit. Democrats insist it is not possible to have substantive talks about Trump’s demands while parts of the government are shut down. The House this week will begin passing individual appropriations bills for the affected agencies as they seek to build pressure on Trump. Trump’s political operation, for its part, has begun running advertisements on cable television touting his calls for border security and slamming opposition from Democrats. Caught somewhere in the middle are many congressional Republicans, some of whom have shown the strain. Three Senate Republicans have already broken with Trump to call for the government to reopen as Democrats hammer the president and his allies over the shutdown. Vice President Pence plans to visit with House GOP lawmakers Tuesday to prevent defections as Democrats map out votes on reopening the government. Seven Republicans in the House broke ranks and backed a bill opening up parts of the go... Link to the full article to read more