WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump struck a chord of unity during his State of the Union address.

With that now behind us, the deadline to avoid another government shutdown is quickly approaching.

Are lawmakers any closer to striking a deal?

A bipartisan group got together yesterday, meeting with border protection officials. But the clock is still ticking towards that February 15 deadline.

"Simply put, walls work and walls save lives," the president told the chamber and a nationwide television audience.

He reaffirmed his stance during the address, calling on Republicans and Democrats to work together.

"So let's work together, compromise and reach a deal that will truly make America safe."

Something everyone says they want to avoid, including Florida senators.

"I don’t think shutdowns are good leverage," said Fla. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. "It’s a lesson I’ve learned in my time here. There’s been two shutdowns since I’ve been here. And the aggressor in neither one was the winner."

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott penned an op-ed in the Washington Post.

The piece said the stalemate in Washington is worse than it appears. And while that Democrats have voted for border security in the past, but won’t now because they hate the president.

"I don’t understand why we aren’t having real conversations about border security," Scott said. "We have to do both. We don’t want a government shutdown. We expect the government to work.."

This comes as hundreds of military members are being moved from the Arizona border to a mission in Texas.

A group of about 2,000 migrants arriving in northern Mexico. And perhaps some softening on the Democratic side.

Lawmakers are saying in order for both the House and Senate to have enough time to pass something, they need some type of agreement by Friday morning.