Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), accompanied by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) (L). Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is leading her party's covert conversations with Republicans on how to find a way out of a shutdown, sources tell us.
That includes last night, when she joined a bipartisan group of senators at a Thai restaurant in the capital.
Why it matters: Leadership-level negotiations are currently non-existent.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) ā another Democrat engaged in bipartisan conversations ā today characterized the talks as "casual or loose."
Shaheen has been working the phones, making calls to Democrats and Republicans while in New Hampshire over the weekend.
The big picture: Shaheen is considered a bellwether for Senate Democrats. If she backs a bipartisan compromise, it likely unlocks a critical chunk of Democratic votes.
Leadership hasn't blessed the rank-and-file talks, but they are being kept in the loop, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) checking in with members nightly.
The talks haven't progressed far, according to sources on both sides of the aisle.
The bottom line: "We need to open the government back up and I think people need to sit down and talk to each other," Shaheen told reporters.
