Washington (CNN) Vice President Mike Pence said Monday that the White House counsel is looking at the President's ability to declare a national emergency to fund border security, something President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he is considering as partial government shutdown negotiations have reached their third week at a virtual stalemate.

Asked to explain how thoroughly the White House counsel's office has reviewed the possibility of an emergency declaration, Pence said it is something they have examined, but the administration would prefer to solve the problem of border security funding through Congress.

"What I'm aware of is they're looking at it and the President is considering it," Pence told reporters during an hourlong briefing alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Office of Management and Budget acting director Russell Vought.

"There's no reason in the world why the Congress shouldn't be able to roll its sleeves up and work together to find a principled compromise to address what is a real crisis at our southern border," Pence added.

The trio repeatedly used the word "crisis" to describe the state of the US-Mexico border as they made the administration's case for $5.7 billion in border security funding. Democrats have refused to support the spending and Trump has refused to sign legislation reopening the government without it.

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