White House chief of staff Denis McDonough failed to convince a “significant number” of House Democrats to support the $1.1 trillion cromnibus, according to one lawmaker who listened to the pitch.

“Absolutely not,” Representative Bill Pascrell (D., N.J.) replied when a reporter asked if McDonough was able to convince a “significant number” of Democrats to back the bill, despite a legislative riders related to Dodd-Frank and campaign finance laws that the House Democrats oppose.

McDonough walked out of the caucus meeting unwilling to say anything other than “it was a great opportunity” to talk to the Democrats. “I really appreciate it,” he said repeatedly.

Pascrell said he opposes the bill even though its failure would likely result in Republicans being able to renegotiate the appropriations package next year, when they control the Senate.

“I think it’s always a good time to fight,” he said.

That approach frustrates the House Democratic appropriators who worked to cut the deal with House Republicans and Senate counterparts.

“It is true that if you are dead set against these provisions that came up at the last minute, you might think that the world begins and ends with defeating those add ons — or one of the two of those add ons — that that is the whole ball game,” Representative Chaka Fattah (D., Penn.) told NRO. “If you’re an appropriator like myself and you’ve been working all year on various parts . . . you may think that, hey, getting these appropriation items done is the most important even if you have to live with the add-ons.”