There are plenty of proverbial elephants in the negotiating room as Republican senators and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) try to come up with a border enforcement addition to the Senate’s spending bill.

What the negotiations are missing: Any sustained and serious involvement from the majority Senate Democratic Caucus.

At the moment, Democrats are staying away from the talks, which are aimed at giving House Republicans something on border security that could ease their spending bill’s path in the lower chamber. Senate Democrats are having a hard time seeing an outcome, with no guarantee from House Republicans that even a spending bill with border security will get a vote.

“When you’re dealing with an emergency, and you need to get something done in the next couple of days, this just feels like too big a lift,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who has been quietly discussing immigration with Republicans. “There’s a chance that we do something big potentially on policy and money in the next two months. It’s just that we can’t figure out a way to land that right now.”

Plussing up border money, in particular, would almost certainly win several Democratic votes, but many of those centrist senators say the more imminent shutdown deadline is a far bigger priority.

“I obviously support investing in border security. But my focus right now is on what we need to do to keep the government from shutting down,” Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) said.

Sinema does have a feel for what Democrats might accept, and other Democrats are getting updates on the negotiations — which have yet to reach an agreement among Republicans at this point. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he’s been keeping in touch with both GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina about the border meetings.

“I will vote for anything that will secure our borders,” Manchin said. “The Republicans are trying to placate House Republicans, that what I understand in talking to Thom Tillis.”

Of course, House Republicans have yet to pass a stopgap funding bill, border funding or not.

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