The US government shutdown over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-urges-trump-to-delay-state-of-union-until-government-reopens-190817">President Donald Trump</a>'s call for Congress to fund a wall he promised to build on the US- Mexican border is threatening another campaign pledge to make rules easier to navigate for banks and corporations.

The partial shutdown, sparked by a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over how to address Trump's demand, is already the longest ever, entering its 27th day on Thursday with no signs of a resolution.

The Trump administration has outlined plans to ease bank rules, overhaul corporate governance, and boost financial innovation, sparking hopes among executives that they would already start to feel the benefits this year.

Yet with Democrats now in control of the House of Representatives and the 2020 presidential campaign expected to stymie policymaking, industry lobbyists worry the shutdown will further limit the narrow window for the new rules to kick in.

Of particular concern is the fate of rules being penned by regulators to implement changes, passed by the Republican Congress last May, that relaxed restraints imposed on banks after the financial crisis, said lobbyists and regulatory sources.

Republican lawmakers had expected many of those changes would be close to the finish line by now, but several have yet to be put to public comment. This step, among others, is part of a strict rule-changing process dictated by federal law that cannot be easily expedited once the government reopens.

Given many of the changes face opposition from consumer groups, lawyers say any hiccups in their implementation could expose them to litigation and delay them indefinitely.

“While there is an image of folks coming in and cutting red tape, for better or worse that is not the way our legal process works and the government shutdown really impedes that process,” said Ben Olson, a lawyer with Buckley Sandler who previously worked for several agencies including the Federal Reserve.

At the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), whose budgets are set by Congress, less than a tenth of staff continue to work in areas such as law enforcement, market surveillance and investor protection while all non-emergency rule-making is suspended.

The CFTC, for example, was scheduled to agree rules that would pave the way for Intercontinental Exchange to begin trading digital currency futures in coming weeks, but that timeline is now unrealistic, according to a person familiar with the CFTC's original plan.

With no SEC staff available to approve paperwork, initial public offerings are getting backed up, said lawyers. Brokers are also unable to get critical guidance on whether some trades are compliant, said Marlon Paz, a Washington-based lawyer who advises financial firms. "I fear there is little oversight in tumultuous times."

Although the three banking regulators are funded independently, lobbyists say the shutdown may derail their work on rule changes overseen jointly with the SEC and CFTC. That includes the "Volcker Rule", which imposed curbs on banks' proprietary trading as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law.

US and international banks have criticized the rule as too burdensome and lobbied hard for changes, but the five financial regulators are obliged to review thousands of pages of comments before taking further action. With CFTC and SEC policy staff barred from even checking their emails, however, these types of joint projects are stalled.

"They still have to review all comments, and the folks who have to review them are at home watching TV," said Wayne Abernathy, executive vice president at trade group the American Bankers Association.

"Our worry is that the shutdown could be slowing down the process."

A CFTC spokeswoman confirmed the agency has halted all rule-writing. An SEC spokesman said the SEC was staffing emergency functions.

Furloughs at the Office of the Federal Register, which must formally publish all steps in the rule-writing process, have also delayed other changes Congress agreed in May, public records show.

For example, days before the shutdown began on December 22, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Fed, alongside other agencies, unveiled two proposals to ease rules on broker deposits and community banks.

But those have yet to be published in the register, which is required to start public comment periods.

Bridget Dooling, a research professor at George Washington University, said the law allowed few shortcuts, meaning a backlog created now would likely not get cleared for months.

"Losing a month or two months or, who knows, maybe more from your productive timeline could ultimately jeopardize your ability to finish the work you set out to do in a presidential administration,” said Dooling, who previously worked in the regulatory office at the US Office of Management and Budget.

Spokespeople for the FDIC and Fed declined to comment. The Office of the Federal Register was not able to respond to requests for comment due to the shutdown.

The US government shutdown over President Donald Trump's call for Congress to fund a wall he promised to build on the US- Mexican border is threatening another campaign pledge to make rules easier to navigate for banks and corporations.

The US government shutdown over President Donald Trump's call for Congress to fund a wall he promised to build on the US- Mexican border is threatening another campaign pledge to make rules easier to navigate for banks and corporations. The partial shutdown, sparked by a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over how to address Trump's demand, is already the longest ever, entering its 27th day on Thursday with no signs of a resolution. The Trump administration has outlined plans to ease bank rules, overhaul corporate governance, and boost financial innovation, sparking hopes among executives that they would already start to feel the benefits this year. Yet with Democrats now in control of the House of Representatives and the 2020 presidential campaign expected to stymie policymaking, industry lobbyists worry the shutdown will further limit the narrow window for the new rules to kick in. Of particular concern is the fate of rules being penned by regulators to implement changes, passed by the Republican Congress last May, that relaxed restraints imposed on banks after the financial crisis, said lobbyists and regulatory sources. Republican lawmakers had expected many of those changes would be close to the finish line by now, but several have yet to be put to public comment. This step, among others, is part of a strict rule-changing process dictated by federal law that cannot be easily expedited once the government reopens. Given many of the changes face opposition from consumer groups, lawyers say any hiccups in their implementation could expose them to litigation and delay them indefinitely. “While there is an image of folks coming in and cutting red tape, for better or worse that is not the way our legal process works and the government shutdown really impedes that process,” said Ben Olson, a lawyer with Buckley Sandler who previously worked for several agencies including the Federal Reserve. At the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), whose budgets are set by Congress, less than a tenth of staff continue to work in areas such as law enforcement, market surveillance and investor protection while all non-emergency rule-making is suspended. The CFTC, for example, was scheduled to agree rules that would pave the way for Intercontinental Exchange to begin trading digital currency futures in coming weeks, but that timeline is now unrealistic, according to a person familiar with the CFTC's original plan. With no SEC staff available to approve paperwork, initial public offerings are getting backed up, said lawyers. Brokers are also unable to get critical guidance on whether some trades are compliant, said Marlon Paz, a Washington-based lawyer who advises financial firms. "I fear there is little oversight in tumultuous times." Although the three banking regulators are funded independently, lobbyists say the shutdown may derail their work on rule changes overseen jointly with the SEC and CFTC. That includes the "Volcker Rule", which imposed curbs on banks' proprietary trading as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law. US and international banks have criticized the rule as too burdensome and lobbied hard for changes, but the five financial regulators are obliged to review thousands of pages of comments before taking further action. With CFTC and SEC policy staff barred from even checking their emails, however, these types of joint projects are stalled. "They still have to review all comments, and the folks who have to review them are at home watching TV," said Wayne Abernathy, executive vice president at trade group the American Bankers Association. "Our worry is that the shutdown could be slowing down the process." A CFTC spokeswoman confirmed the agency has halted all rule-writing. An SEC spokesman said the SEC was staffing emergency functions. Furloughs at the Office of the Federal Register, which must formally publish all steps in the rule-writing process, have also delayed other changes Congress agreed in May, public records show. For example, days before the shutdown began on December 22, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Fed, alongside other agencies, unveiled two proposals to ease rules on broker deposits and community banks. But those have yet to be published in the register, which is required to start public comment periods. Bridget Dooling, a research professor at George Washington University, said the law allowed few shortcuts, meaning a backlog created now would likely not get cleared for months. "Losing a month or two months or, who knows, maybe more from your productive timeline could ultimately jeopardize your ability to finish the work you set out to do in a presidential administration,” said Dooling, who previously worked in the regulatory office at the US Office of Management and Budget. Spokespeople for the FDIC and Fed declined to comment. The Office of the Federal Register was not able to respond to requests for comment due to the shutdown.

US government shutdown starting to hurt Trump's financial deregulation agenda

US President Donald Trump laid out a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/top-republicans-oppose-border-emergency-as-shutdown-drags-on-190088">White House feast fit for a government </a>shutdown with silver platters heaped high with McDonald's quarter pounders and the red-and-white burger wrappers of Wendy's.

White House chefs normally would <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-shutdown-sends-economy-into-uncharted-waters-189942">serve much fancier fare underneath</a> the stern gaze of the portrait of Abraham Lincoln in the State Dining Room. But they are furloughed, staying home without paychecks as Trump fights with Congress over funding the federal government.

The White House said Trump himself sprang for what he pronounced to be "great American food" for the visiting Clemson Tigers, winners of the US&nbsp;college football championship.

"We have pizzas, we have 300 hamburgers, many, many french fries, all of our favourite foods," Trump told reporters, as one White House worker still on the job lit tapered candles.

"I want to see what's here when we leave, because I don't think it's going to be much," Trump said, before the players, dressed in dapper suits, flooded the room and piled their plates high.

About a quarter of the federal government has been shut down for the past 24 days after Trump dug in on a campaign pledge to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico, demanding $5.7 billion from Congress for the project. Democrats have rejected his demand.&nbsp;

"So I had a choice. Do we have no food for you because we have a shutdown or do we give you some little quick salads that the first lady will make along with the second lady....they'll make some salads and I said you guys aren't into salads or do I go out, Lindsay Graham, Tim Scott (Senators from South Carolina) or do I send out for 1000 hamburgers," he said, adding, "Big Macs. So we actually did. Burger King, Wendy's and McDonalds, all American companies."

US President Donald Trump laid out a White House feast fit for a government shutdown with silver platters heaped high with McDonald's quarter pounders and the red-and-white burger wrappers of Wendy's.

US President Donald Trump laid out a White House feast fit for a government shutdown with silver platters heaped high with McDonald's quarter pounders and the red-and-white burger wrappers of Wendy's. White House chefs normally would serve much fancier fare underneath the stern gaze of the portrait of Abraham Lincoln in the State Dining Room. But they are furloughed, staying home without paychecks as Trump fights with Congress over funding the federal government. The White House said Trump himself sprang for what he pronounced to be "great American food" for the visiting Clemson Tigers, winners of the US college football championship. "We have pizzas, we have 300 hamburgers, many, many french fries, all of our favourite foods," Trump told reporters, as one White House worker still on the job lit tapered candles. "I want to see what's here when we leave, because I don't think it's going to be much," Trump said, before the players, dressed in dapper suits, flooded the room and piled their plates high. About a quarter of the federal government has been shut down for the past 24 days after Trump dug in on a campaign pledge to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico, demanding $5.7 billion from Congress for the project. Democrats have rejected his demand. "So I had a choice. Do we have no food for you because we have a shutdown or do we give you some little quick salads that the first lady will make along with the second lady....they'll make some salads and I said you guys aren't into salads or do I go out, Lindsay Graham, Tim Scott (Senators from South Carolina) or do I send out for 1000 hamburgers," he said, adding, "Big Macs. So we actually did. Burger King, Wendy's and McDonalds, all American companies."

Watch: As shutdown bites, Trump invites guests to feast on burgers, pizzas & french fries

As shutdown bites, Trump foots bill for fast food feast

The United States is extending until <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-entirely-close-us-mexico-border-unless-wall-demands-met-187046">September 30 the deployment of </a>active duty soldiers and Coast Guard members at the border with Mexico, officials said Monday.

As part of the move to extend the mission <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/military-will-build-mexico-border-wall-if-democrats-refuse-trump-183450">past the original January 31 deadline</a>, the Pentagon said it was "transitioning its support at the southwestern border from hardening ports of entry to mobile surveillance and detection, as well as concertina wire emplacement between ports of entry."

"DoD will continue to provide aviation support," the statement added, referring to the Department of Defense.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the extension in response to a request from the Homeland Security Department, the Pentagon said in a statement. There are about 2,350 troops assigned to the border mission.

The impasse has paralysed Washington - its impact felt increasingly around the country - with the president refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute.

As a result, 800,000 federal employees - including FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff - received no paychecks on Friday.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican border presents challenges, but Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a crusade.&nbsp;

He tweeted Sunday that "The building of the Wall on the Southern Border will bring down the crime rate throughout the entire Country!"&nbsp;

Some studies show that illegal immigrants commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States.

Only in recent days has Trump begun describing the problem as "humanitarian," referring in a tweet Saturday to "a massive Humanitarian Crisis at our Southern Border."

President Donald Trump has refused to back away from his demand that lawmakers approve funding to build a Mexico border wall.

Due to&nbsp;the US government shutdown, small business administration loans to help mom-and-pop businesses trying to invest, hire and grow have been delayed.

There are no government loans for seeds or cattle feed and none of the regular Agriculture Department data about crop yields and commodity prices that farmers depend on to plan for the coming year.

Permits from some oil and gas drilling - which feeds into GDP calculations - are delayed.

The United States is extending until September 30 the deployment of active duty soldiers and Coast Guard members at the border with Mexico, officials said Monday.

The United States is extending until September 30 the deployment of active duty soldiers and Coast Guard members at the border with Mexico, officials said Monday. As part of the move to extend the mission past the original January 31 deadline, the Pentagon said it was "transitioning its support at the southwestern border from hardening ports of entry to mobile surveillance and detection, as well as concertina wire emplacement between ports of entry." "DoD will continue to provide aviation support," the statement added, referring to the Department of Defense. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the extension in response to a request from the Homeland Security Department, the Pentagon said in a statement. There are about 2,350 troops assigned to the border mission. The impasse has paralysed Washington - its impact felt increasingly around the country - with the president refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute. As a result, 800,000 federal employees - including FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff - received no paychecks on Friday. Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican border presents challenges, but Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a crusade. He tweeted Sunday that "The building of the Wall on the Southern Border will bring down the crime rate throughout the entire Country!" Some studies show that illegal immigrants commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States. Only in recent days has Trump begun describing the problem as "humanitarian," referring in a tweet Saturday to "a massive Humanitarian Crisis at our Southern Border." President Donald Trump has refused to back away from his demand that lawmakers approve funding to build a Mexico border wall. Due to the US government shutdown, small business administration loans to help mom-and-pop businesses trying to invest, hire and grow have been delayed. There are no government loans for seeds or cattle feed and none of the regular Agriculture Department data about crop yields and commodity prices that farmers depend on to plan for the coming year. Permits from some oil and gas drilling - which feeds into GDP calculations - are delayed.

US troop deployment at Mexico border extended till September: Pentagon

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes for an imminent end to the longest government shutdown in American history, he said Sunday during a whistle-stop Middle East tour.

"I hope it ends tomorrow," Pompeo said to applause as he addressed US diplomats in Doha, the latest stop on his eight-day regional tour.

The partial US government shutdown entered its 23rd day on Sunday and has seen 800,000 federal employees go without wages being paid -- including embassy staff.

"As I travel these days with the shutdown underway, you all get that we still have a mission," Pompeo told the gathering of diplomats and their families.

US President Donald Trump has refused to back away from his demand that lawmakers approve funding to build a Mexico border wall.

As the shutdown drags on, Trump said Saturday he was holding off on declaring a state of emergency that would allow him to bypass Democrats' opposition and secure billions of dollars for the proposed wall.

"I hope we get it resolved and get everybody back to work and get (their) paycheck," Pompeo told diplomats.

Despite the ongoing crisis, he told journalists on Saturday that morale was good among US staff abroad.

"We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't impact our diplomacy," he said while in Abu Dhabi.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes for an imminent end to the longest government shutdown in American history, he said Sunday during a whistle-stop Middle East tour.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes for an imminent end to the longest government shutdown in American history, he said Sunday during a whistle-stop Middle East tour. "I hope it ends tomorrow," Pompeo said to applause as he addressed US diplomats in Doha, the latest stop on his eight-day regional tour. The partial US government shutdown entered its 23rd day on Sunday and has seen 800,000 federal employees go without wages being paid -- including embassy staff. "As I travel these days with the shutdown underway, you all get that we still have a mission," Pompeo told the gathering of diplomats and their families. US President Donald Trump has refused to back away from his demand that lawmakers approve funding to build a Mexico border wall. As the shutdown drags on, Trump said Saturday he was holding off on declaring a state of emergency that would allow him to bypass Democrats' opposition and secure billions of dollars for the proposed wall. "I hope we get it resolved and get everybody back to work and get (their) paycheck," Pompeo told diplomats. Despite the ongoing crisis, he told journalists on Saturday that morale was good among US staff abroad. "We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't impact our diplomacy," he said while in Abu Dhabi.

Pompeo hopes for imminent end to US government shutdown

The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-stops-short-of-emergency-declaration-in-border-wall-fight-189699">President Donald Trump</a>'s row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday.

The Democrats' refusal to approve $5.7 billion demanded by Trump for the wall project has paralyzed Washington, with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute.

As a result, workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff, did not receive paychecks on Friday.

The partial shutdown of the government was about to become the longest on record at midnight Friday&nbsp;when it will overtake the 21-day stretch in 1995-1996, under president Bill Clinton.

Earlier Friday, Trump backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval.

"I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White House meeting.

Trump described an emergency declaration as the "easy way out" and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving the $5.7 billion.

"If they can't do it..., I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right," he insisted.

Until now, Trump had suggested numerous times that he was getting closer to taking the controversial decision.

Only minutes earlier, powerful Republican ally Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted after talks with Trump: "Mr President, Declare a national emergency NOW."

It was not clear what made Trump change course.

But Trump himself acknowledged in the White House meeting that an attempt to claim emergency powers would likely end up in legal battles going all the way to the Supreme Court.

Opponents say that a unilateral move by the president over the sensitive border issue would be constitutional overreach and set a dangerous precedent in similar controversies.

'Under siege'&nbsp;

The standoff has turned into a test of political ego, particularly for Trump, who came into office boasting of his dealmaking powers and making an aggressive border policy the keystone of his nationalist agenda.

Democrats, meanwhile, seem determined at all costs to prevent a president who relishes campaign rally chants of "build the wall!" from getting a win.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican frontier presents major challenges, ranging from the hyper-violent Mexican drug trade to the plight of asylum seekers and poor migrants seeking new lives in the world's richest country.

There's also little debate that border walls are needed: about a third of the frontier is already fenced off.

But Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a political crusade seen by opponents as a stunt to stoke xenophobia in his right-wing voter base, while wilfully ignoring the border's complex realities.

For Trump, who visited the Texas border with Mexico on Thursday, the border situation amounts to an invasion by criminals that can only be solved by more walls.

"We have a country that's under siege," he told the local officials in the White House.

Some studies show that illegal immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, although not everyone agrees on this.

More certain is that while narcotics do enter the country across remote sections of the border, most are sneaked through heavily guarded checkpoints in vehicles, the government's own Drug Enforcement Administration said in a 2017 report.

It said that most smuggling is done "through US ports of entry (POEs) in passenger vehicles with concealed compartments or commingled with legitimate goods on tractor trailers."

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives and a key figure in opposing Trump's agenda, said money should be spent in many areas of border security, but not on walls.

"We need to look at the facts," she said.

But Trump accused the Democrats of only wanting to score points against him with a view to the 2020 presidential elections.

"They think, 'Gee, we can hurt Trump,'" he said. "The Democrats are just following politics."

The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of President Donald Trump's row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday.

The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of President Donald Trump's row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday. The Democrats' refusal to approve $5.7 billion demanded by Trump for the wall project has paralyzed Washington, with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute. As a result, workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff, did not receive paychecks on Friday. The partial shutdown of the government was about to become the longest on record at midnight Friday when it will overtake the 21-day stretch in 1995-1996, under president Bill Clinton. Earlier Friday, Trump backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval. "I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White House meeting. Trump described an emergency declaration as the "easy way out" and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving the $5.7 billion. "If they can't do it..., I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right," he insisted. Until now, Trump had suggested numerous times that he was getting closer to taking the controversial decision. Only minutes earlier, powerful Republican ally Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted after talks with Trump: "Mr President, Declare a national emergency NOW." It was not clear what made Trump change course. But Trump himself acknowledged in the White House meeting that an attempt to claim emergency powers would likely end up in legal battles going all the way to the Supreme Court. Opponents say that a unilateral move by the president over the sensitive border issue would be constitutional overreach and set a dangerous precedent in similar controversies. 'Under siege' The standoff has turned into a test of political ego, particularly for Trump, who came into office boasting of his dealmaking powers and making an aggressive border policy the keystone of his nationalist agenda. Democrats, meanwhile, seem determined at all costs to prevent a president who relishes campaign rally chants of "build the wall!" from getting a win. Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican frontier presents major challenges, ranging from the hyper-violent Mexican drug trade to the plight of asylum seekers and poor migrants seeking new lives in the world's richest country. There's also little debate that border walls are needed: about a third of the frontier is already fenced off. But Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a political crusade seen by opponents as a stunt to stoke xenophobia in his right-wing voter base, while wilfully ignoring the border's complex realities. For Trump, who visited the Texas border with Mexico on Thursday, the border situation amounts to an invasion by criminals that can only be solved by more walls. "We have a country that's under siege," he told the local officials in the White House. Some studies show that illegal immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, although not everyone agrees on this. More certain is that while narcotics do enter the country across remote sections of the border, most are sneaked through heavily guarded checkpoints in vehicles, the government's own Drug Enforcement Administration said in a 2017 report. It said that most smuggling is done "through US ports of entry (POEs) in passenger vehicles with concealed compartments or commingled with legitimate goods on tractor trailers." Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives and a key figure in opposing Trump's agenda, said money should be spent in many areas of border security, but not on walls. "We need to look at the facts," she said. But Trump accused the Democrats of only wanting to score points against him with a view to the 2020 presidential elections. "They think, 'Gee, we can hurt Trump,'" he said. "The Democrats are just following politics."

Government shutdown enters 22nd day, longest federal closure in US history

The partial US government shutdown entered a record 22nd day Saturday, as President Donald Trump remains steadfast in his demand for $5.7 billion to build a Mexico border wall and Democrats in Congress determined to refuse the funds.

The president issued a series of tweets Saturday in an effort to defend his stance and goad Democrats to return to Washington and end what he called "the massive humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border."

"Democrats could solve the Shutdown in 15 minutes!" he said in one tweet, adding in another, "We will be out for a long time unless the Democrats come back from their 'vacations' and get back to work. I am in the White House ready to sign!"

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<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Democrats could solve the Shutdown in 15 minutes! Call your Dem Senator or Congresswoman/man. Tell them to get it done! Humanitarian Crisis.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084099445556502528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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But most lawmakers left town on Friday and will not return before Monday, leaving little chance for any solution to the stalemate before then.

The impasse has paralyzed Washington -- its impact felt increasingly around the country -- with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute.

As a result, 800,000 federal employees -- workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff -- did not receive paychecks Friday.

The shutdown became the longest on record at midnight Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), when it overtook a 21-day stretch in 1995-1996 under president Bill Clinton.

Retreat from 'emergency'

On Friday, however, Trump backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval.

"I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White House meeting.

Trump described an emergency declaration as the "easy way out" and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving the $5.7 billion he says is needed.

"If they can't do it... I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right," he said.

Until Friday, Trump had suggested numerous times that he was getting closer to taking the controversial decision. One powerful Republican ally, Senator Lindsey Graham, tweeted after talks with Trump: "Mr. President, Declare a national emergency NOW."

But the president himself acknowledged in the White House meeting that an attempt to claim emergency powers would likely end up in legal battles going all the way to the Supreme Court -- as other Republicans and some of his advisers have reportedly cautioned him.

Opponents say that a unilateral presidential move would be a constitutional overreach and set a dangerous precedent in similar controversies.

'Under siege'

The standoff has turned into a test of political ego, particularly for Trump, who came into office boasting of his deal-making powers and making an aggressive border policy the keystone of his nationalist agenda.

In two of his tweets Saturday, Trump pushed back on a media report that his White House was "chaotic" with no plan or strategy to end the shutdown.

"The Fakes always like talking Chaos, there is NONE..." he tweeted. "I do have a plan on the Shutdown."

"But to understand that plan you would have to understand the fact that I won the election, and I promised... a Wall at the Southern Border. Elections have consequences!"

Democrats, meanwhile, seem determined at all costs to prevent the president from getting the wall he has often promised in his campaign-style rallies.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican border presents major challenges, ranging from the violent Mexican drug trade to the plight of asylum seekers and poor migrants seeking new lives in the world's richest country.

But Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a political crusade that opponents say is a stunt to stoke xenophobia in his right-wing voter base while willfully ignoring the border's complex realities.

For the president, who visited the Texas border with Mexico on Thursday, the border situation amounts to an invasion by criminals. Only in recent days has he begun describing the problem as "humanitarian."

Some studies show that illegal immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, although not everyone agrees on this.

More certain is that while narcotics do enter the country across remote sections of the border, most are sneaked through heavily guarded checkpoints in vehicles, the government's own Drug Enforcement Administration said in a 2017 report.

'Look at the facts'

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, said money should be spent on border security but not on walls.

"We need to look at the facts," she said.

Separately, Puerto Rico's governor urged Trump to not redirect emergency funds from projects to help the storm-ravaged island to wall construction along the US-Mexico border.&nbsp;

Ricardo Rossello's plea followed reports the White House has asked the Army Corps of Engineers to look into ways to divert funds destined for natural disaster relief for the wall.

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria tore through the US territory in the Caribbean, killing some 3,000 people, causing catastrophic material damage and crippling the island's power grid.

The partial US government shutdown entered a record 22nd day Saturday, as President Donald Trump remains steadfast in his demand for $5.7 billion to build a Mexico border wall and Democrats in Congress determined to refuse the funds.

The partial US government shutdown entered a record 22nd day Saturday, as President Donald Trump remains steadfast in his demand for $5.7 billion to build a Mexico border wall and Democrats in Congress determined to refuse the funds. The president issued a series of tweets Saturday in an effort to defend his stance and goad Democrats to return to Washington and end what he called "the massive humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border." "Democrats could solve the Shutdown in 15 minutes!" he said in one tweet, adding in another, "We will be out for a long time unless the Democrats come back from their 'vacations' and get back to work. I am in the White House ready to sign!" Democrats could solve the Shutdown in 15 minutes! Call your Dem Senator or Congresswoman/man. Tell them to get it done! Humanitarian Crisis. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019 × But most lawmakers left town on Friday and will not return before Monday, leaving little chance for any solution to the stalemate before then. The impasse has paralyzed Washington -- its impact felt increasingly around the country -- with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute. As a result, 800,000 federal employees -- workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff -- did not receive paychecks Friday. The shutdown became the longest on record at midnight Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), when it overtook a 21-day stretch in 1995-1996 under president Bill Clinton. Retreat from 'emergency' On Friday, however, Trump backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval. "I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White House meeting. Trump described an emergency declaration as the "easy way out" and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving the $5.7 billion he says is needed. "If they can't do it... I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right," he said. Until Friday, Trump had suggested numerous times that he was getting closer to taking the controversial decision. One powerful Republican ally, Senator Lindsey Graham, tweeted after talks with Trump: "Mr. President, Declare a national emergency NOW." But the president himself acknowledged in the White House meeting that an attempt to claim emergency powers would likely end up in legal battles going all the way to the Supreme Court -- as other Republicans and some of his advisers have reportedly cautioned him. Opponents say that a unilateral presidential move would be a constitutional overreach and set a dangerous precedent in similar controversies. 'Under siege' The standoff has turned into a test of political ego, particularly for Trump, who came into office boasting of his deal-making powers and making an aggressive border policy the keystone of his nationalist agenda. In two of his tweets Saturday, Trump pushed back on a media report that his White House was "chaotic" with no plan or strategy to end the shutdown. "The Fakes always like talking Chaos, there is NONE..." he tweeted. "I do have a plan on the Shutdown." "But to understand that plan you would have to understand the fact that I won the election, and I promised... a Wall at the Southern Border. Elections have consequences!" Democrats, meanwhile, seem determined at all costs to prevent the president from getting the wall he has often promised in his campaign-style rallies. Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican border presents major challenges, ranging from the violent Mexican drug trade to the plight of asylum seekers and poor migrants seeking new lives in the world's richest country. But Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a political crusade that opponents say is a stunt to stoke xenophobia in his right-wing voter base while willfully ignoring the border's complex realities. For the president, who visited the Texas border with Mexico on Thursday, the border situation amounts to an invasion by criminals. Only in recent days has he begun describing the problem as "humanitarian." Some studies show that illegal immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, although not everyone agrees on this. More certain is that while narcotics do enter the country across remote sections of the border, most are sneaked through heavily guarded checkpoints in vehicles, the government's own Drug Enforcement Administration said in a 2017 report. 'Look at the facts' Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, said money should be spent on border security but not on walls. "We need to look at the facts," she said. Separately, Puerto Rico's governor urged Trump to not redirect emergency funds from projects to help the storm-ravaged island to wall construction along the US-Mexico border. Ricardo Rossello's plea followed reports the White House has asked the Army Corps of Engineers to look into ways to divert funds destined for natural disaster relief for the wall. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria tore through the US territory in the Caribbean, killing some 3,000 people, causing catastrophic material damage and crippling the island's power grid.

Democrats could solve shutdown in 15 minutes: Donald Trump

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives voted on Friday to restore funding for federal agencies that have been shut down by a fight with President Donald Trump over border wall funding, as some 800,000 government workers, from tax collectors to FBI agents, missed their first paycheck.

But a full resumption of government operations did not appear in sight because Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not bring the House bill up for a vote. Republicans who control the Senate have so far stood with Trump and insisted that any spending bills include money for his wall.

The House bill, which passed 240-179 with only a handful of Republicans supporting it, would restore funding for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, two of the agencies that have been without funding since December 22 amid the standoff over the proposed wall along the US-Mexico border. The bill provides $35.9 billion in discretionary funding, $6 billion above Trump's budget request and $601 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level.

Facing the prospect of the longest US government shutdown in history, Trump has said he might declare a national emergency to bypass Congress to get funding for his wall, which was a central promise of his 2016 presidential campaign.

"Humanitarian Crisis at our Southern Border," Trump said on Twitter on Friday, a day after he visited the Texas-Mexico border. "I just got back and it is a far worse situation than almost anyone would understand, an invasion!"

Entering its 21st day, the partial shutdown on Friday tied the record for the longest in US history. Some 800,000 federal workers did not receive paychecks that would have gone out on Friday. Some have resorted to selling their possessions or posting appeals on online fundraising outlets to help pay their bills.

"Most of them are living from paycheck to paycheck and now they approach this day on Friday having moved from paycheck to no check," Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings said in debate on the House floor.

The head of the US Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting Trump, warned employees that financial stress can lead to depression and anxiety. "Keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble," Director RD "Tex" Alles wrote in a memo seen by Reuters.

House approves back pay

The House also passed a bill by a bipartisan vote of 411-7 that would provide back pay to federal workers once the shutdown ends. That legislation, which has already been passed by the Senate, now heads to Trump's desk to be signed into law.

Separately, Senator Rob Portman and eight other Republican senators introduced legislation that would permanently outlaw the closing of government operations during budget fights, underscoring the growing frustration in Washington.

During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly pledged that Mexico would pay for the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. But the Mexican government has refused and Trump is now demanding that Congress provide $5.7 billion in US taxpayer funding for the wall.

Democrats in Congress call the wall an ineffective, outdated answer to a complex problem.

With no Capitol Hill compromise in sight, Trump publicly ruminated on Thursday during the Texas trip about declaring an emergency.

A close Trump confidant judged the time for such a step had come. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement: "It is time for President Trump to use emergency powers to fund the construction of a border wall/barrier. I hope it works."

Critics of the national emergency strategy have said it may be illegal. In any case, it was almost certain to trigger an immediate court challenge from Democrats, including an accusation of trying to circumvent Congress' power over the national purse strings.

An emergency declaration would come with risks. Even some of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress have signalled worries about such an action. Given that the Constitution gives Congress the power to set spending priorities and appropriate money, they worry about a tough legal fight and an unwise precedent.

"I don't think he should do that. It's a bad precedent," Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said on CNBC. "It seems to me that

An emergency declaration, however, would allow the government to be fully reopened while the judges weigh the case, which could take months.

Before the shutdown began, Trump said he would be "proud" to close the government over the issue of border security and would not blame Democrats, although he later did.

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives voted on Friday to restore funding for federal agencies that have been shut down by a fight with President Donald Trump over border wall funding, as some 800,000 government workers, from tax collectors to FBI agents, missed their first paycheck.

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives voted on Friday to restore funding for federal agencies that have been shut down by a fight with President Donald Trump over border wall funding, as some 800,000 government workers, from tax collectors to FBI agents, missed their first paycheck. But a full resumption of government operations did not appear in sight because Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not bring the House bill up for a vote. Republicans who control the Senate have so far stood with Trump and insisted that any spending bills include money for his wall. The House bill, which passed 240-179 with only a handful of Republicans supporting it, would restore funding for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, two of the agencies that have been without funding since December 22 amid the standoff over the proposed wall along the US-Mexico border. The bill provides $35.9 billion in discretionary funding, $6 billion above Trump's budget request and $601 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. Facing the prospect of the longest US government shutdown in history, Trump has said he might declare a national emergency to bypass Congress to get funding for his wall, which was a central promise of his 2016 presidential campaign. "Humanitarian Crisis at our Southern Border," Trump said on Twitter on Friday, a day after he visited the Texas-Mexico border. "I just got back and it is a far worse situation than almost anyone would understand, an invasion!" Entering its 21st day, the partial shutdown on Friday tied the record for the longest in US history. Some 800,000 federal workers did not receive paychecks that would have gone out on Friday. Some have resorted to selling their possessions or posting appeals on online fundraising outlets to help pay their bills. "Most of them are living from paycheck to paycheck and now they approach this day on Friday having moved from paycheck to no check," Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings said in debate on the House floor. The head of the US Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting Trump, warned employees that financial stress can lead to depression and anxiety. "Keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble," Director RD "Tex" Alles wrote in a memo seen by Reuters. House approves back pay The House also passed a bill by a bipartisan vote of 411-7 that would provide back pay to federal workers once the shutdown ends. That legislation, which has already been passed by the Senate, now heads to Trump's desk to be signed into law. Separately, Senator Rob Portman and eight other Republican senators introduced legislation that would permanently outlaw the closing of government operations during budget fights, underscoring the growing frustration in Washington. During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly pledged that Mexico would pay for the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. But the Mexican government has refused and Trump is now demanding that Congress provide $5.7 billion in US taxpayer funding for the wall. Democrats in Congress call the wall an ineffective, outdated answer to a complex problem. With no Capitol Hill compromise in sight, Trump publicly ruminated on Thursday during the Texas trip about declaring an emergency. A close Trump confidant judged the time for such a step had come. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement: "It is time for President Trump to use emergency powers to fund the construction of a border wall/barrier. I hope it works." Critics of the national emergency strategy have said it may be illegal. In any case, it was almost certain to trigger an immediate court challenge from Democrats, including an accusation of trying to circumvent Congress' power over the national purse strings. An emergency declaration would come with risks. Even some of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress have signalled worries about such an action. Given that the Constitution gives Congress the power to set spending priorities and appropriate money, they worry about a tough legal fight and an unwise precedent. "I don't think he should do that. It's a bad precedent," Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said on CNBC. "It seems to me that An emergency declaration, however, would allow the government to be fully reopened while the judges weigh the case, which could take months. Before the shutdown began, Trump said he would be "proud" to close the government over the issue of border security and would not blame Democrats, although he later did.

US House passes bill to reopen some agencies shut down in wall fight

The United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday said that&nbsp;he will skip the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland if a government shutdown over his US-Mexico wall continues.

Trump is planning to attend the Davos meeting in just under two weeks, but said, "if the shutdown continues, I won't go."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Because of the Democrats intransigence on Border Security and the great importance of Safety for our Nation, I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. My warmest regards and apologies to the <a href="https://twitter.com/wef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WEF</a>!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1083426878336036865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"I intended to go and speak in front of the world financial community in Davos. That's still on, but if the shutdown continues ... I won't go. I had planned to go, it's been very successful when I went. We have a great story to tell," Trump told reporters before leaving the White House to visit Texas.

Swaths of the US government have already been without funding for three weeks while Trump rows with opposition Democrats over his demand for them to authorize construction of hundreds of miles of wall along the Mexican border.

China's Vice President Wang Qishan is also expected to attend the Davos meeting, but it is not clear whether there will be any arrangements for a meeting between him and Trump during the annual gathering. China and the United States have taken a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/explaining-the-us-china-trade-war-which-grabbed-spotlight-in-2018-185043">90-day pause in implementing tariffs to hammer out a trade deal</a>.

The Swiss meeting could also provide Trump with opportunities to discuss better terms of trade with the European Union, Japan, Canada and Mexico.

Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-heads-to-us-mexico-border-to-push-wall-plan-189442">Trump headed to the US-Mexico border</a> to push his demand for a wall, a day after he walked out of negotiations with Democrats in a political crisis paralysing the government.

Trump left early from the White House en route for Texas, where he was expected to visit the community of McAllen and meet with local border patrol agents.

"We need border security," Trump told journalists before boarding the Marine One helicopter.

The Texas trip gives Trump yet another high-profile stage to push his wall plan, following a national television address Tuesday and his drama-filled abandonment of talks with Democratic opponents on Wednesday.

Trump wants $5.7 billion for construction of a wall that he says is needed to stop a violent crime crisis caused by an unsecured border.

But Democrats say the wall would not solve real US immigration problems and is being promoted as a gimmick to satisfy the president's right-wing base.

Trump has tried to pressure Congress by refusing to sign off on a host of unrelated, normally uncontroversial government spending, resulting in a partial government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees, including air traffic controllers and members of the Coast Guard, have been without pay for three weeks.

The United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday said that he will skip the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland if a government shutdown over his US-Mexico wall continues.

The United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday said that he will skip the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland if a government shutdown over his US-Mexico wall continues. Trump is planning to attend the Davos meeting in just under two weeks, but said, "if the shutdown continues, I won't go." Because of the Democrats intransigence on Border Security and the great importance of Safety for our Nation, I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. My warmest regards and apologies to the @WEF! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2019 × "I intended to go and speak in front of the world financial community in Davos. That's still on, but if the shutdown continues ... I won't go. I had planned to go, it's been very successful when I went. We have a great story to tell," Trump told reporters before leaving the White House to visit Texas. Swaths of the US government have already been without funding for three weeks while Trump rows with opposition Democrats over his demand for them to authorize construction of hundreds of miles of wall along the Mexican border. China's Vice President Wang Qishan is also expected to attend the Davos meeting, but it is not clear whether there will be any arrangements for a meeting between him and Trump during the annual gathering. China and the United States have taken a 90-day pause in implementing tariffs to hammer out a trade deal. The Swiss meeting could also provide Trump with opportunities to discuss better terms of trade with the European Union, Japan, Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, Trump headed to the US-Mexico border to push his demand for a wall, a day after he walked out of negotiations with Democrats in a political crisis paralysing the government. Trump left early from the White House en route for Texas, where he was expected to visit the community of McAllen and meet with local border patrol agents. "We need border security," Trump told journalists before boarding the Marine One helicopter. The Texas trip gives Trump yet another high-profile stage to push his wall plan, following a national television address Tuesday and his drama-filled abandonment of talks with Democratic opponents on Wednesday. Trump wants $5.7 billion for construction of a wall that he says is needed to stop a violent crime crisis caused by an unsecured border. But Democrats say the wall would not solve real US immigration problems and is being promoted as a gimmick to satisfy the president's right-wing base. Trump has tried to pressure Congress by refusing to sign off on a host of unrelated, normally uncontroversial government spending, resulting in a partial government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees, including air traffic controllers and members of the Coast Guard, have been without pay for three weeks.

Trump cancels trip to Davos World Economic Forum as US government shutdown continues

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US&nbsp;government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said.

Training events have been cancelled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end the partial shutdown affecting a quarter of the government in a funding standoff over Trump's proposed US-Mexico border wall.

"We still have a responsibility for going after those who might be using this time to flood the streets" with drugs, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field agent told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name.

"For us, it's even a more important time to try to target as much as we can. We still have a safety obligation to the public ... with the limited resources," the agent said.

Most employees at federal law enforcement agencies - from the FBI and DEA to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration - have kept working since Trump's demands on the wall triggered the shutdown on December 22.

"Non-essential" personnel across the government have been staying home on furlough, while "essential" personnel, which includes many in law enforcement, have been working for no pay.

On Friday, many of roughly 800,000 shutdown-affected federal workers will miss their first paychecks. The shutdown began after Trump insisted that $5.7 billion for his wall be made a part of any legislation to restore funding for many agencies that expired for unrelated reasons, a demand Democrats oppose.

As much as 85 per cent of the Justice Department's employees are working, as are nearly 90 per cent of the Department of Homeland Security's employees, said department spokesmen.

"It really wears on our members," said Nathan Catura, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents some 27,000 federal agents.

"You feel like a pawn in this big political windstorm. You feel like you're not worth anything," he said.

In a memo to US Secret Service agents that was seen by Reuters, service Director RD "Tex" Alles urged employees to "keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble."

He wrote, "A quick internet search will validate that financial stress is often the precursor to greater issues, including depression, anxiety and worse."

While the lack of a paycheck is stressing out some agents, the shutdown has had a limited operational impact so far, several law enforcement officials said.

Drug seizures are still occurring. Corrections officers are still reporting to work each day and air passengers are not yet facing overly long security lines in airports.

But funding that law enforcement agencies draw on for investigations and some other operations is starting to dwindle.

Interviews with witnesses in some DEA investigations have been postponed. Furloughs of some FBI analysts has forced agents to pick up the slack by doing their own background checks - a process that may slow them down, officials told Reuters.

That means FBI agents doing anti-terrorism or white-collar crime investigations must pull together criminal records and other background materials on their own, without the help of analysts who specialize in such work, Catura said.

“That slows everything down,” he said.

FBI headquarters "is doing all they can" to ensure major investigations continue, said Tom O'Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association. The group on Thursday sent a petition to the White House and Congress urging them to end the shutdown.

“FBI operations need funding. We’re beginning to raise concerns regarding field operations. Support operations are understaffed,” O'Connor said.

Federal prison workers are also growing frustrated. Prior to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Prisons had to deal with a hiring freeze, followed by 6,000 job cuts.

"The great majority of our federal law enforcement officers work in middle America," said Eric Young, national president for the Council of Prison Locals for the American Federation of Government Employees union.

"They are very conservative, and they were supportive of Trump. Some still are, but the great majority of them have been totally disenchanted with what they have seen from this administration," Young said.

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said.

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said. Training events have been cancelled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end the partial shutdown affecting a quarter of the government in a funding standoff over Trump's proposed US-Mexico border wall. "We still have a responsibility for going after those who might be using this time to flood the streets" with drugs, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field agent told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name. "For us, it's even a more important time to try to target as much as we can. We still have a safety obligation to the public ... with the limited resources," the agent said. Most employees at federal law enforcement agencies - from the FBI and DEA to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration - have kept working since Trump's demands on the wall triggered the shutdown on December 22. "Non-essential" personnel across the government have been staying home on furlough, while "essential" personnel, which includes many in law enforcement, have been working for no pay. On Friday, many of roughly 800,000 shutdown-affected federal workers will miss their first paychecks. The shutdown began after Trump insisted that $5.7 billion for his wall be made a part of any legislation to restore funding for many agencies that expired for unrelated reasons, a demand Democrats oppose. As much as 85 per cent of the Justice Department's employees are working, as are nearly 90 per cent of the Department of Homeland Security's employees, said department spokesmen. "It really wears on our members," said Nathan Catura, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents some 27,000 federal agents. "You feel like a pawn in this big political windstorm. You feel like you're not worth anything," he said. In a memo to US Secret Service agents that was seen by Reuters, service Director RD "Tex" Alles urged employees to "keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble." He wrote, "A quick internet search will validate that financial stress is often the precursor to greater issues, including depression, anxiety and worse." While the lack of a paycheck is stressing out some agents, the shutdown has had a limited operational impact so far, several law enforcement officials said. Drug seizures are still occurring. Corrections officers are still reporting to work each day and air passengers are not yet facing overly long security lines in airports. But funding that law enforcement agencies draw on for investigations and some other operations is starting to dwindle. Interviews with witnesses in some DEA investigations have been postponed. Furloughs of some FBI analysts has forced agents to pick up the slack by doing their own background checks - a process that may slow them down, officials told Reuters. That means FBI agents doing anti-terrorism or white-collar crime investigations must pull together criminal records and other background materials on their own, without the help of analysts who specialize in such work, Catura said. “That slows everything down,” he said. FBI headquarters "is doing all they can" to ensure major investigations continue, said Tom O'Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association. The group on Thursday sent a petition to the White House and Congress urging them to end the shutdown. “FBI operations need funding. We’re beginning to raise concerns regarding field operations. Support operations are understaffed,” O'Connor said. Federal prison workers are also growing frustrated. Prior to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Prisons had to deal with a hiring freeze, followed by 6,000 job cuts. "The great majority of our federal law enforcement officers work in middle America," said Eric Young, national president for the Council of Prison Locals for the American Federation of Government Employees union. "They are very conservative, and they were supportive of Trump. Some still are, but the great majority of them have been totally disenchanted with what they have seen from this administration," Young said.

Law enforcement agencies squeezed by US government shutdown

By John A Tures

One of the biggest myths about government shutdowns is that presidents usually win.

This may explain why President Donald Trump threatened to continue the shutdown for months, even years. However, a poll conducted in the first week of January shows that 51 per cent of adults believe Trump is to blame for the shutdown.

I’m a scholar of political science and often research presidential politics. I did an analysis of Gallup data, a group that does public opinion polling, from its Presidential Job Approval Center.

There have been 18 shutdowns since 1977. I found that in the nine longest shutdowns during that time, presidents lose an average of 3 percentage points of public support or approval during a government shutdown of four or more days.

Most presidents lose shutdowns

In only two of the nine cases that I looked at, did a chief executive boost his numbers. Jimmy Carter inched up a percentage point or two in 1977 and 1978 during the government shutdowns that took place during his presidency.

In the seven other cases, the shutdown led to declines in public approval of the president. And in the majority of cases, the president’s party lost the next presidential election.

The clearest example is President George H W Bush. In 1990, this GOP president was riding a 66 per cent approval rating after the successful Operation Desert Shield (when we sent US troops to Saudi Arabia to deter an attack by Iraq) and a long period of economic growth.

But Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress battled over the budget deficit, triggering a government shutdown from October 5 to 9. Public approval for Bush fell 10 percentage points.

Some of this may have been the result of Bush approving tax increases to close the budget deficit, which broke one of his campaign pledges of “no new taxes.”

But images of closed federal facilities didn’t help, giving voters the appearance of Bush presiding over gridlock. This hurt him in the 1992 election when voters agreed with Democrats that Bush’s policies led to legislative deadlock.

Pundits often cite the case of Democratic President Bill Clinton as an exception. They claim he “won” the longest shutdown in US history. This shutdown took place from December 5, 1995, to January 6, 1996, or 21 full days.

GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich wanted to reduce the budget deficit, while Clinton opposed deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare.

It’s true that Clinton went on to defeat GOP Sen. Robert Dole – one of his rivals during the shutdown – in the 1996 election. But Gallup polling shows that Clinton’s approval ratings from mid-November to early January had fallen 11 percentage points to 42 per cent.

In other circumstances, this could have cost Clinton another term. But in this case, he faced no opposition in his Democratic primary, while Dole lost precious time and money battling several rivals for the 1996 GOP nomination. I believe Clinton won in spite of the shutdown, not because of it.

Why presidents lose

People see the president as the most powerful actor in government.

“Presidents have more authority than anyone else in the United States government, and control more money and military forces than any other person in the world,” write Hoover Institution scholars Paul T Hill and Ashley E Jochim in their book “The Power of Persuasion.”

Hill and Jochim note that despite all of that power, presidents much work with Congress to get tasks accomplished. Because of their perceived power, presidents are often expected to accomplish more than their constitutional authority allows them to get done, notes Richard Neustadt in his book “Presidential Power.”

When the government is closed, history shows the president will be held accountable.

(John A Tures is Professor of Political Science, Lagrange College)

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trump-will-likely-lose-the-government-shutdown-109491">The Conversation</a>. Read the original article)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By John A Tures One of the biggest myths about government shutdowns is that presidents usually win. This may explain why President Donald Trump threatened to continue the shutdown for months, even years.

By John A Tures One of the biggest myths about government shutdowns is that presidents usually win. This may explain why President Donald Trump threatened to continue the shutdown for months, even years. However, a poll conducted in the first week of January shows that 51 per cent of adults believe Trump is to blame for the shutdown. I’m a scholar of political science and often research presidential politics. I did an analysis of Gallup data, a group that does public opinion polling, from its Presidential Job Approval Center. There have been 18 shutdowns since 1977. I found that in the nine longest shutdowns during that time, presidents lose an average of 3 percentage points of public support or approval during a government shutdown of four or more days. Most presidents lose shutdowns In only two of the nine cases that I looked at, did a chief executive boost his numbers. Jimmy Carter inched up a percentage point or two in 1977 and 1978 during the government shutdowns that took place during his presidency. In the seven other cases, the shutdown led to declines in public approval of the president. And in the majority of cases, the president’s party lost the next presidential election. The clearest example is President George H W Bush. In 1990, this GOP president was riding a 66 per cent approval rating after the successful Operation Desert Shield (when we sent US troops to Saudi Arabia to deter an attack by Iraq) and a long period of economic growth. But Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress battled over the budget deficit, triggering a government shutdown from October 5 to 9. Public approval for Bush fell 10 percentage points. Some of this may have been the result of Bush approving tax increases to close the budget deficit, which broke one of his campaign pledges of “no new taxes.” But images of closed federal facilities didn’t help, giving voters the appearance of Bush presiding over gridlock. This hurt him in the 1992 election when voters agreed with Democrats that Bush’s policies led to legislative deadlock. Pundits often cite the case of Democratic President Bill Clinton as an exception. They claim he “won” the longest shutdown in US history. This shutdown took place from December 5, 1995, to January 6, 1996, or 21 full days. GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich wanted to reduce the budget deficit, while Clinton opposed deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare. It’s true that Clinton went on to defeat GOP Sen. Robert Dole – one of his rivals during the shutdown – in the 1996 election. But Gallup polling shows that Clinton’s approval ratings from mid-November to early January had fallen 11 percentage points to 42 per cent. In other circumstances, this could have cost Clinton another term. But in this case, he faced no opposition in his Democratic primary, while Dole lost precious time and money battling several rivals for the 1996 GOP nomination. I believe Clinton won in spite of the shutdown, not because of it. Why presidents lose People see the president as the most powerful actor in government. “Presidents have more authority than anyone else in the United States government, and control more money and military forces than any other person in the world,” write Hoover Institution scholars Paul T Hill and Ashley E Jochim in their book “The Power of Persuasion.” Hill and Jochim note that despite all of that power, presidents much work with Congress to get tasks accomplished. Because of their perceived power, presidents are often expected to accomplish more than their constitutional authority allows them to get done, notes Richard Neustadt in his book “Presidential Power.” When the government is closed, history shows the president will be held accountable. (John A Tures is Professor of Political Science, Lagrange College) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why Donald Trump will likely lose the government shutdown

Concerned about their mortgages, tuition payments and weekly bills, federal workers and union leaders decried the effects of the federal shutdown on Monday (January 7) at a roundtable discussion organised by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to pressure the Republican president into reaching a deal that will reopen the government.

"We are people. We have bills to pay. We have mortgages to pay. We have food we need to eat to survive, just like everybody else. It's not a game to us. It sounds like it's a game to him, 'Oh, I'll keep the government shut down for months, for years.' Well what about the 800,000 people? Do you even care? Do you have a heart? It doesn't seem so." LaVerne Byrd, a statistician with the US Census Bureau said, rhetorically addressing President Trump.

As the partial federal government shutdown entered its 17th day after a funding impasse over President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall, hundreds of thousands of federal workers face the possibility that they will not receive their paychecks on Friday (January 11) if the shutdown continues.

Ottis Johnson, who has worked at the National Gallery of Art for 8 years, said he contacted his mortgage company and the school where his 10 and 13-year-old daughters attend to tell them he may have to be late on his payments.

"We try to pay all our bills and stuff to our creditors on time but having to call the creditors and ask, to let them know that the government is shutting down and that one of us will not be working and we may not be able to make the mortgage payment is hard and embarrassing. They say that they will work with us to put us on a payment plan but then having to go to my daughter's school and inform them also that we will not be able to make the tuition payment because of the shutdown," he said.

For 13 years, Tyra McClelland has worked at CORE Services and Offender Supervision Services, where she provides support for people on probation. She said during that time, she had to survive other shutdowns, including a 16-day shutdown in 2013 President Barack Obama's administration over the Affordable Care Act. She feels that this one is different.

"At one point it was like, 'Oh, okay, we did this before, we're going to get through.' But this one is completely different when someone is telling you, 'I'm going to let this go on for months, if not years.' (JOURNALIST OFF-CAMERA: 'What is the worst case scenario?') Leaving the federal government and getting another job. That's the worst case scenario. I enjoy the work I do. I like the work I do. I feel that I make a difference in the community I serve and if this goes any further, I'm not going to be able to do that. A lot of us aren't going to be able to do that," she said.

As an essential federal worker, she and other CORE workers, like parole officer Jeffrey Barlow, have continued working despite the shutdown. But with uncertainty looming over him, Barlow said he has already made changes in the way his family lives.

"We've changed dramatically because I have the uncertainty of when this will end. We do have savings yes, but will I deplete my savings with rhetoric that says this will go on for years or this will go on for months. I do not have savings that will cover that type of timeframe," he said.

Van Hollen, a Democratic senator whose district borders Washington, DC&nbsp;and includes many federal workers and contractors, is encouraging his fellow Democratic senators to block consideration of bills unrelated to re-opening the government until Senator Mitch McConnell allows a vote on the bills to fund the government.

Concerned about their mortgages, tuition payments and weekly bills, federal workers and union leaders decried the effects of the federal shutdown on Monday (January 7) at a roundtable discussion organised by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to pressure the Republican president into reaching a deal that will reopen the government.

Concerned about their mortgages, tuition payments and weekly bills, federal workers and union leaders decried the effects of the federal shutdown on Monday (January 7) at a roundtable discussion organised by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to pressure the Republican president into reaching a deal that will reopen the government. "We are people. We have bills to pay. We have mortgages to pay. We have food we need to eat to survive, just like everybody else. It's not a game to us. It sounds like it's a game to him, 'Oh, I'll keep the government shut down for months, for years.' Well what about the 800,000 people? Do you even care? Do you have a heart? It doesn't seem so." LaVerne Byrd, a statistician with the US Census Bureau said, rhetorically addressing President Trump. As the partial federal government shutdown entered its 17th day after a funding impasse over President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall, hundreds of thousands of federal workers face the possibility that they will not receive their paychecks on Friday (January 11) if the shutdown continues. Ottis Johnson, who has worked at the National Gallery of Art for 8 years, said he contacted his mortgage company and the school where his 10 and 13-year-old daughters attend to tell them he may have to be late on his payments. "We try to pay all our bills and stuff to our creditors on time but having to call the creditors and ask, to let them know that the government is shutting down and that one of us will not be working and we may not be able to make the mortgage payment is hard and embarrassing. They say that they will work with us to put us on a payment plan but then having to go to my daughter's school and inform them also that we will not be able to make the tuition payment because of the shutdown," he said. For 13 years, Tyra McClelland has worked at CORE Services and Offender Supervision Services, where she provides support for people on probation. She said during that time, she had to survive other shutdowns, including a 16-day shutdown in 2013 President Barack Obama's administration over the Affordable Care Act. She feels that this one is different. "At one point it was like, 'Oh, okay, we did this before, we're going to get through.' But this one is completely different when someone is telling you, 'I'm going to let this go on for months, if not years.' (JOURNALIST OFF-CAMERA: 'What is the worst case scenario?') Leaving the federal government and getting another job. That's the worst case scenario. I enjoy the work I do. I like the work I do. I feel that I make a difference in the community I serve and if this goes any further, I'm not going to be able to do that. A lot of us aren't going to be able to do that," she said. As an essential federal worker, she and other CORE workers, like parole officer Jeffrey Barlow, have continued working despite the shutdown. But with uncertainty looming over him, Barlow said he has already made changes in the way his family lives. "We've changed dramatically because I have the uncertainty of when this will end. We do have savings yes, but will I deplete my savings with rhetoric that says this will go on for years or this will go on for months. I do not have savings that will cover that type of timeframe," he said. Van Hollen, a Democratic senator whose district borders Washington, DC and includes many federal workers and contractors, is encouraging his fellow Democratic senators to block consideration of bills unrelated to re-opening the government until Senator Mitch McConnell allows a vote on the bills to fund the government.

Watch: For US government workers, the shutdown is not politics, it's personal

President Donald Trump said "bye-bye" and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/there-is-growing-humanitarian-and-security-crisis-at-our-southern-border-says-trump-in-televised-address-189114">stormed out of negotiations Wednesday</a> on funding a US-Mexico border wall when Democratic opponents refused to agree to the project.

"A total waste of time," Trump tweeted about his<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-have-to-build-the-wall-trump-on-ending-shutdown-188587"> White House meeting with top</a> Democratic congressional leaders. "I said bye-bye, nothing else works!"

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Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time. I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1083099784012091396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, told journalists Trump "sort of slammed the table," then "got up and walked out."

"Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his way," Schumer said.

Although the two sides agreed that the meeting ended abruptly, they argued over who was to blame.

According to supporters of Trump at the meeting, the president asked Democratic leaders whether they would agree to fund his wall project in exchange for him ending a painful shutdown of swaths of government, which he has instigated in retaliation for the standoff.

The Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, "raised her hand and said no, not at all," said Kevin McCarthy, the senior Republican in the House, who was also present.

"We heard once again that Democratic leaders are unwilling to even negotiate," Vice President Mike Pence said.

The vice president insisted that Trump came in good faith.

"The president walked into the room and passed out candy," Pence said. "I don't recall him ever raising his voice or slamming his hand."

Trump wants $5.7 billion to fund a wall he says is needed to keep out dangerous illegal immigrants, drug dealers and people smugglers from Mexico.

Democrats say the wall would have little impact on real border problems and that Trump's tough approach has instead created a humanitarian crisis among vulnerable, unthreatening migrants.

Trump's main lever to exert pressure on Congress has been to refuse signing spending bills that cover large areas of government. As a result, some 800,000 federal employees and many more contractors have now been without pay for almost three weeks.

Democrats insist they will not lift their opposition to the wall project and believe Americans will tire of the shutdown chaos and blame Trump.

But Trump indicated Wednesday on a visit to Republican allies in Congress that he will continue to play hardball.

"Whatever it takes," he told journalists, when asked how long the shutdown could continue.

Earlier at the White House, Trump told journalists that if he cannot get his way, he could declare a national emergency -- a measure that allows him to bypass Congress and take the wall funds he needs from the military.

"I think we might work a deal, and if we don't, we might go that route," he said, insisting he has the "absolute right" to declare an emergency, despite warnings in Congress that this could be seen as serious presidential overreach.

- 'American blood' speech - 
Trump's triumphant 2016 campaign relied heavily on his "build the wall" slogan and since then, he has pushed the idea that the United States is being overwhelmed by dangerous migrants who enter the country illegally.

But with Democrats winning control of the House in November midterm elections, Trump's wall push has come up against a wall of its own.

This week, an increasingly frustrated president is trying to seize the initiative.

On Thursday, he will fly down to the southern border that he described in a prime-time television speech Tuesday as an open door to murderers and other criminals.

"How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?" Trump said.

"For those who refuse to compromise in the name of border security, I would ask to imagine if it was your child, your husband, or your wife whose life was so cruelly shattered and totally broken," he said in the nine-minute speech.

Trump claimed Wednesday that his address had been a success.

But Schumer scoffed: "I don't think he persuaded a soul with his talk last night. It was same old same old -- mistruths, divisiveness. Didn't have the effect he had hoped."

Washington is now waiting for either side to make a move -- and to see whether Trump will dare invoke emergency powers.

"Neither side feel they can cave and not pay a terrible political price," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said on Fox News.

"Unfortunately, two things caught in the middle are securing our borders, and the men and women in federal government," he added.

President Donald Trump said "bye-bye" and stormed out of negotiations Wednesday on funding a US-Mexico border wall when Democratic opponents refused to agree to the project.

President Donald Trump said "bye-bye" and stormed out of negotiations Wednesday on funding a US-Mexico border wall when Democratic opponents refused to agree to the project. "A total waste of time," Trump tweeted about his White House meeting with top Democratic congressional leaders. "I said bye-bye, nothing else works!" Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time. I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2019 × Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, told journalists Trump "sort of slammed the table," then "got up and walked out." "Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his way," Schumer said. Although the two sides agreed that the meeting ended abruptly, they argued over who was to blame. According to supporters of Trump at the meeting, the president asked Democratic leaders whether they would agree to fund his wall project in exchange for him ending a painful shutdown of swaths of government, which he has instigated in retaliation for the standoff. The Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, "raised her hand and said no, not at all," said Kevin McCarthy, the senior Republican in the House, who was also present. "We heard once again that Democratic leaders are unwilling to even negotiate," Vice President Mike Pence said. The vice president insisted that Trump came in good faith. "The president walked into the room and passed out candy," Pence said. "I don't recall him ever raising his voice or slamming his hand." Trump wants $5.7 billion to fund a wall he says is needed to keep out dangerous illegal immigrants, drug dealers and people smugglers from Mexico. Democrats say the wall would have little impact on real border problems and that Trump's tough approach has instead created a humanitarian crisis among vulnerable, unthreatening migrants. Trump's main lever to exert pressure on Congress has been to refuse signing spending bills that cover large areas of government. As a result, some 800,000 federal employees and many more contractors have now been without pay for almost three weeks. Democrats insist they will not lift their opposition to the wall project and believe Americans will tire of the shutdown chaos and blame Trump. But Trump indicated Wednesday on a visit to Republican allies in Congress that he will continue to play hardball. "Whatever it takes," he told journalists, when asked how long the shutdown could continue. Earlier at the White House, Trump told journalists that if he cannot get his way, he could declare a national emergency -- a measure that allows him to bypass Congress and take the wall funds he needs from the military. "I think we might work a deal, and if we don't, we might go that route," he said, insisting he has the "absolute right" to declare an emergency, despite warnings in Congress that this could be seen as serious presidential overreach. - 'American blood' speech - Trump's triumphant 2016 campaign relied heavily on his "build the wall" slogan and since then, he has pushed the idea that the United States is being overwhelmed by dangerous migrants who enter the country illegally. But with Democrats winning control of the House in November midterm elections, Trump's wall push has come up against a wall of its own. This week, an increasingly frustrated president is trying to seize the initiative. On Thursday, he will fly down to the southern border that he described in a prime-time television speech Tuesday as an open door to murderers and other criminals. "How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?" Trump said. "For those who refuse to compromise in the name of border security, I would ask to imagine if it was your child, your husband, or your wife whose life was so cruelly shattered and totally broken," he said in the nine-minute speech. Trump claimed Wednesday that his address had been a success. But Schumer scoffed: "I don't think he persuaded a soul with his talk last night. It was same old same old -- mistruths, divisiveness. Didn't have the effect he had hoped." Washington is now waiting for either side to make a move -- and to see whether Trump will dare invoke emergency powers. "Neither side feel they can cave and not pay a terrible political price," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said on Fox News. "Unfortunately, two things caught in the middle are securing our borders, and the men and women in federal government," he added.

Trump walks out of meeting on border wall, says 'bye-bye' to Schumer, Pelosi

US airport security workers and air traffic controllers working without pay warned that security and safety could be compromised if a government shutdown continues beyond Friday when some workers will miss their first paychecks.

On the 19th day of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-refuses-to-sign-us-government-shutdown-legislation-over-mexico-wall-funding-185571">partial government shutdown</a> caused by a dispute over funding President Donald Trump wants for a border wall, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-walks-out-of-meeting-on-border-wall-says-bye-bye-to-schumer-pelosi-189287">president stormed out of talks </a>with Democratic congressional leaders, complaining the meeting was “a total waste of time.”

As the effects of the shutdown began to ripple out, the Trump administration insisted that air travel staffing was adequate and travellers had not faced unusual delays.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/there-is-growing-humanitarian-and-security-crisis-at-our-southern-border-says-trump-in-televised-address-189114">Growing humanitarian, security crisis at our southern border, says Trump in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/there-is-growing-humanitarian-and-security-crisis-at-our-southern-border-says-trump-in-televised-address-189114">televised</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/there-is-growing-humanitarian-and-security-crisis-at-our-southern-border-says-trump-in-televised-address-189114"> address</a>

But union officials said some Transport Security Administration (TSA) officers, who carry out security screening in airports, had already quit because of the shutdown and others were considering quitting.

“The loss of (TSA) officers, while we’re already shorthanded, will create a massive security risk for American travellers since we don’t have enough trainees in the pipeline or the ability to process new hires,” American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council President Hydrick Thomas said. “If this keeps up there are problems that will arise – least of which would be increased wait times for travellers.”

Aviation unions, airport and airline officials and lawmakers will hold a rally on Thursday outside Congress urging an end to the shutdown.

TSA spokesman Michael Bilello said the organization was hiring officers and working on contingency plans in case the shutdown lasted beyond Friday, when officers would miss their first paycheck since the shutdown began on December 22.

“There has been no degradation in security effectiveness and average wait times are well within TSA standards,” he said.

He added that there had been no spike in employees quitting and that on Tuesday 5 per cent of officers took unscheduled leave, up just slightly from 3.9 per cent the same day last year. It screened 1.73 million passengers and 99.9 per cent of passengers waited less than 30 minutes, the TSA said.

But US&nbsp;Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, questioned how long adequate staffing at airports could continue.

“TSA officers are among the lowest paid federal employees, with many living paycheck-to-paycheck,” Thompson wrote. “It is only reasonable to expect officer call outs and resignations to increase the longer the shutdown lasts since no employee can be expected to work indefinitely without pay.”

Airports Council International-North America, which represents US airports, urged Trump and congressional leaders in a letter to quickly reopen the government.

“TSA staffing shortages brought on by this shutdown are likely to further increase checkpoint wait times and may even lead to the complete closure of some checkpoints,” the group said.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) noted that the number of controllers was already at a 30-year low, with 18 per cent of controllers eligible to retire.

If a significant number of controllers missed work, the Federal Aviation Administration could be forced to extend the amount of time between takeoffs and landings, which could delay travel, it said.

NATCA President Paul Rinaldi said controllers often must work overtime and six-day weeks at short-staffed locations. “If the staffing shortage gets worse, we will see reduced capacity in the National Airspace System, meaning more flight delays,” Rinaldi said.

President Donald Trump stormed out of shutdown talks with Democratic congressional leaders, complaining the meeting was 'a total waste of time.'

US airport security workers and air traffic controllers working without pay warned that security and safety could be compromised if a government shutdown continues beyond Friday when some workers will miss their first paychecks. On the 19th day of a partial government shutdown caused by a dispute over funding President Donald Trump wants for a border wall, the president stormed out of talks with Democratic congressional leaders, complaining the meeting was “a total waste of time.” As the effects of the shutdown began to ripple out, the Trump administration insisted that air travel staffing was adequate and travellers had not faced unusual delays. Also read: Growing humanitarian, security crisis at our southern border, says Trump in televised address But union officials said some Transport Security Administration (TSA) officers, who carry out security screening in airports, had already quit because of the shutdown and others were considering quitting. “The loss of (TSA) officers, while we’re already shorthanded, will create a massive security risk for American travellers since we don’t have enough trainees in the pipeline or the ability to process new hires,” American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council President Hydrick Thomas said. “If this keeps up there are problems that will arise – least of which would be increased wait times for travellers.” Aviation unions, airport and airline officials and lawmakers will hold a rally on Thursday outside Congress urging an end to the shutdown. TSA spokesman Michael Bilello said the organization was hiring officers and working on contingency plans in case the shutdown lasted beyond Friday, when officers would miss their first paycheck since the shutdown began on December 22. “There has been no degradation in security effectiveness and average wait times are well within TSA standards,” he said. He added that there had been no spike in employees quitting and that on Tuesday 5 per cent of officers took unscheduled leave, up just slightly from 3.9 per cent the same day last year. It screened 1.73 million passengers and 99.9 per cent of passengers waited less than 30 minutes, the TSA said. But US Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, questioned how long adequate staffing at airports could continue. “TSA officers are among the lowest paid federal employees, with many living paycheck-to-paycheck,” Thompson wrote. “It is only reasonable to expect officer call outs and resignations to increase the longer the shutdown lasts since no employee can be expected to work indefinitely without pay.” Airports Council International-North America, which represents US airports, urged Trump and congressional leaders in a letter to quickly reopen the government. “TSA staffing shortages brought on by this shutdown are likely to further increase checkpoint wait times and may even lead to the complete closure of some checkpoints,” the group said. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) noted that the number of controllers was already at a 30-year low, with 18 per cent of controllers eligible to retire. If a significant number of controllers missed work, the Federal Aviation Administration could be forced to extend the amount of time between takeoffs and landings, which could delay travel, it said. NATCA President Paul Rinaldi said controllers often must work overtime and six-day weeks at short-staffed locations. “If the staffing shortage gets worse, we will see reduced capacity in the National Airspace System, meaning more flight delays,” Rinaldi said.

US airport security workers warn 'safety could be compromised' if shutdown continues beyond Friday

Concerned federal workers decry effects of US government shutdown

President Donald Trump will use his first prime-time Oval Office speech on Tuesday to tell Americans that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-will-visit-us-mexico-border-on-thursday-spokeswoman-188879">the US-Mexico border is in "crisis" and that a wall must be built</a>, despite the government shutdown triggered by his inability to get Democratic approval for the project.

After weeks of lashing out at Democrats, mostly via Twitter and occasional impromptu press conferences, Trump will pull out the presidency's biggest PR gun — the formal address to the nation at 9 pm (0200 GMT) from the White House's most storied room.

Vice President Mike Pence told ABC television that Trump will express his "deep desire to do his job to protect the American people" in the face of "a real humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border."

Trump wants $5.7 billion to construct high fencing along the border. Democrats have refused, saying he has hyped up immigration issues to appeal to his right-wing base.

In retaliation, Trump has refused to sign off on a broader spending bill, leaving some 800,000 federal employees and many more contractors without pay -- a partial government shutdown about to enter its 18th day.

Trump may use the Oval Office address to calm the waters and seek a compromise solution ending the shutdown and getting at least some funding for his cherished wall project.

Alternatively, he could double down, following through on his warning that he might bypass Congress by declaring emergency powers to fund the wall -- a move that would send political temperatures to boiling point.

Pence would not rule out an emergency declaration, telling CBS television it was something Trump was "considering."

Credibility question 
The Oval Office has witnessed historic announcements, ranging from George W. Bush's reaction to the 9/11 attacks to John F. Kennedy's televised appearance at the height of the Cuba missile crisis.

Trump's gambit is that the solemn setting will give him back the momentum on the Mexico wall issue which helped him get elected in 2016 and has become an obsessive goal for supporters. He will follow up with a rare trip to the Mexico border itself on Thursday.

But with many Americans far from sold on Trump's lurid claims about illegal immigrants, criminals and terrorists overwhelming the border, the speech faces its own high barrier: credibility.

Democrats, who ended the Trump presidency's dominance of domestic politics by seizing the House of Representatives from his Republicans in November, cried foul before a word was spoken.

"If his past statements are an indication (the speech) will be full of malice and misinformation," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the senior Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said.

And illustrating the controversy around Trump's signature domestic policy, several of the main US broadcast networks reportedly agonized over whether or not to accept the White House request for them to clear airtime for the speech.

In the end, the networks agreed, prompting Democrats to demand they be given airtime afterward to respond.

Compromise or attack? 
The big question was whether Trump would use the occasion to try and heal the nation or to drive the wedge between left and right even further.

Both sides are so far dug in on the issue that even agreement on whether there is a crisis is lacking.

Trump's government has been caught making a series of bald-faced exaggerations and lies, including the completely erroneous suggestion that around 4,000 terrorist suspects crossed into America via the border.

Democrats agree that the US immigration system is creaking under the strain of huge numbers of poor Latin Americans who want to get in for work or to escape violence. But most illegal immigrants in the country are people who overstayed visas, rather than crept across the harsh frontier.

Trump's surprise 2016 election win was in part based on his popular slogan "build the wall" and analysts say he feels he cannot afford to back down.

Democrats, emboldened by their partial control of Congress after spending the first two years of the Trump presidency on the sidelines, appear similarly fixated on denying him any semblance of victory.

Declaration of a national emergency, possibly giving Trump power to get military funding for his wall, would undoubtedly spark a political firestorm -- even if national emergency declarations on a variety of problems are in fact relatively common.

If Trump tries to "extend the executive power and try to get our military to build the border wall, declaring this a national security emergency, I think that he’ll face a significant and likely successful challenge in court," Democratic Senator Chris Coons said on CNN.

For now, the White House is hedging its bets, but seems to indicate it is ready to keep talking.

Americans "deserve Democrats to come back to the table, start negotiating and we believe we can resolve this through the legislative process," Pence said on CBS.

President Donald Trump will use his first prime-time Oval Office speech on Tuesday to tell Americans that the US-Mexico border is in "crisis" and that a wall must be built, despite the government shutdown triggered by his inability to get Democratic approval for the project.

President Donald Trump will use his first prime-time Oval Office speech on Tuesday to tell Americans that the US-Mexico border is in "crisis" and that a wall must be built, despite the government shutdown triggered by his inability to get Democratic approval for the project. After weeks of lashing out at Democrats, mostly via Twitter and occasional impromptu press conferences, Trump will pull out the presidency's biggest PR gun — the formal address to the nation at 9 pm (0200 GMT) from the White House's most storied room. Vice President Mike Pence told ABC television that Trump will express his "deep desire to do his job to protect the American people" in the face of "a real humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border." Trump wants $5.7 billion to construct high fencing along the border. Democrats have refused, saying he has hyped up immigration issues to appeal to his right-wing base. In retaliation, Trump has refused to sign off on a broader spending bill, leaving some 800,000 federal employees and many more contractors without pay -- a partial government shutdown about to enter its 18th day. Trump may use the Oval Office address to calm the waters and seek a compromise solution ending the shutdown and getting at least some funding for his cherished wall project. Alternatively, he could double down, following through on his warning that he might bypass Congress by declaring emergency powers to fund the wall -- a move that would send political temperatures to boiling point. Pence would not rule out an emergency declaration, telling CBS television it was something Trump was "considering." Credibility question The Oval Office has witnessed historic announcements, ranging from George W. Bush's reaction to the 9/11 attacks to John F. Kennedy's televised appearance at the height of the Cuba missile crisis. Trump's gambit is that the solemn setting will give him back the momentum on the Mexico wall issue which helped him get elected in 2016 and has become an obsessive goal for supporters. He will follow up with a rare trip to the Mexico border itself on Thursday. But with many Americans far from sold on Trump's lurid claims about illegal immigrants, criminals and terrorists overwhelming the border, the speech faces its own high barrier: credibility. Democrats, who ended the Trump presidency's dominance of domestic politics by seizing the House of Representatives from his Republicans in November, cried foul before a word was spoken. "If his past statements are an indication (the speech) will be full of malice and misinformation," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the senior Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said. And illustrating the controversy around Trump's signature domestic policy, several of the main US broadcast networks reportedly agonized over whether or not to accept the White House request for them to clear airtime for the speech. In the end, the networks agreed, prompting Democrats to demand they be given airtime afterward to respond. Compromise or attack? The big question was whether Trump would use the occasion to try and heal the nation or to drive the wedge between left and right even further. Both sides are so far dug in on the issue that even agreement on whether there is a crisis is lacking. Trump's government has been caught making a series of bald-faced exaggerations and lies, including the completely erroneous suggestion that around 4,000 terrorist suspects crossed into America via the border. Democrats agree that the US immigration system is creaking under the strain of huge numbers of poor Latin Americans who want to get in for work or to escape violence. But most illegal immigrants in the country are people who overstayed visas, rather than crept across the harsh frontier. Trump's surprise 2016 election win was in part based on his popular slogan "build the wall" and analysts say he feels he cannot afford to back down. Democrats, emboldened by their partial control of Congress after spending the first two years of the Trump presidency on the sidelines, appear similarly fixated on denying him any semblance of victory. Declaration of a national emergency, possibly giving Trump power to get military funding for his wall, would undoubtedly spark a political firestorm -- even if national emergency declarations on a variety of problems are in fact relatively common. If Trump tries to "extend the executive power and try to get our military to build the border wall, declaring this a national security emergency, I think that he’ll face a significant and likely successful challenge in court," Democratic Senator Chris Coons said on CNN. For now, the White House is hedging its bets, but seems to indicate it is ready to keep talking. Americans "deserve Democrats to come back to the table, start negotiating and we believe we can resolve this through the legislative process," Pence said on CBS.

In TV address to country, Trump to declare 'crisis' on US-Mexico border

A defiant President Donald Trump said Friday he was prepared to keep the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-congress-leaders-set-to-huddle-on-border-wall-government-shutdown-188197">US government shut down</a> for as long as it takes -- months or even years -- to force Congress to provide billions of dollars for a border wall with Mexico.

"This is national security we're talking about. We're not playing games," Trump said following another round of talks at the White House with Democratic leaders on ending the two-week impasse which has shut about 25 per cent of the government.

"The southern border is a dangerous, horrible disaster," he said, decrying illegal immigration, drug smuggling and human trafficking.

"We have to get a structure built," Trump said, calling on Congress to approve his $5.6 billion requests for a "major powerful barrier" made of concrete or steel.

Trump also claimed that some previous US presidents had told him they should have built a wall. None of Trump's predecessors has ever publicly advocated such a thing.

Describing the situation as a "national emergency," Trump said he was looking into ways to get a wall built without congressional approval. "I may do it," he said. "I am allowed to do that."

Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said Democrats had urged Trump during what he called a "sometimes contentious" meeting to reopen the federal government, which has been partially shut down since December 22 leaving 800,000 employees furloughed or working without pay.&nbsp;

A handful of those employees held a roadside protest in Maryland on Friday, saying they want to get back to work, WTOP radio reported.

"We told the president we needed the government open," Schumer said. "He resisted. In fact, he said he'd keep the government closed for a very long period of time. Months or even years."

Asked by reporters whether this was true, Trump said it was although he added that he hoped the shutdown "doesn't go on even beyond a few more days."

"I will do whatever we have to do," Trump said. "If we have to stay out for a very long period of time we will do that."

Talks over the weekend

Trump said a bipartisan group including Vice President Mike Pence would meet over the weekend to try to reach an agreement.

"Our aim will be to find a solution, not just simply to end the government shutdown, to provide funding to end the crisis at our southern border, to achieve real border security and to build a wall on our southern border," Pence said.

A quick end to the stalemate does not appear to be in sight, however, as Democrats, who now control the House of Representatives, seem in no mood to make concessions.

"We are committed to keeping our borders safe," Nancy Pelosi, who took over as speaker of the House on Thursday, told reporters following the meeting with the president.

But, Pelosi added, "we recognize on the Democratic side that we really cannot resolve this until we open up government.

"And we made that very clear to the president," she said. "Services are being withheld from the American people. Paychecks are being withheld."

Both Democrats and Republicans have attempted to pin the blame for the shutdown on the other side and Pelosi has ruled out funding for a border wall she has described as an "immorality."

Shortly after the new Congress was sworn in on Thursday, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-passes-bills-that-would-end-government-shutdown-without-wall-funds-188145">House approved legislation to fund homeland security operations</a> until February 8 and several other agencies through September -- but no money for a wall.

Trump has said he would veto any bill that does not include funding for the barrier and the Republican-run Senate has said it would not consider anything that does not pass muster with the president.

The fight over the wall is setting the stage for what could be a tumultuous final two years in office for Trump faced with a hostile Democratic-controlled House equipped with investigative powers.

Some newly seated Democrats have even called for impeachment proceedings against the Republican president although Pelosi has distanced herself from those appeals for the time being.

"We talked about (impeachment) today," Trump said. "Nancy said 'We're not looking to impeach you.'"

Trump also sought to defend his record saying "you don't impeach people when they're doing a good job."

'We have to get a structure built,' Trump said, calling on Congress to approve his $5.6 billion requests for a 'major powerful barrier' made of concrete or steel.

A defiant President Donald Trump said Friday he was prepared to keep the US government shut down for as long as it takes -- months or even years -- to force Congress to provide billions of dollars for a border wall with Mexico. "This is national security we're talking about. We're not playing games," Trump said following another round of talks at the White House with Democratic leaders on ending the two-week impasse which has shut about 25 per cent of the government. "The southern border is a dangerous, horrible disaster," he said, decrying illegal immigration, drug smuggling and human trafficking. "We have to get a structure built," Trump said, calling on Congress to approve his $5.6 billion requests for a "major powerful barrier" made of concrete or steel. Trump also claimed that some previous US presidents had told him they should have built a wall. None of Trump's predecessors has ever publicly advocated such a thing. Describing the situation as a "national emergency," Trump said he was looking into ways to get a wall built without congressional approval. "I may do it," he said. "I am allowed to do that." Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said Democrats had urged Trump during what he called a "sometimes contentious" meeting to reopen the federal government, which has been partially shut down since December 22 leaving 800,000 employees furloughed or working without pay. A handful of those employees held a roadside protest in Maryland on Friday, saying they want to get back to work, WTOP radio reported. "We told the president we needed the government open," Schumer said. "He resisted. In fact, he said he'd keep the government closed for a very long period of time. Months or even years." Asked by reporters whether this was true, Trump said it was although he added that he hoped the shutdown "doesn't go on even beyond a few more days." "I will do whatever we have to do," Trump said. "If we have to stay out for a very long period of time we will do that." Talks over the weekend Trump said a bipartisan group including Vice President Mike Pence would meet over the weekend to try to reach an agreement. "Our aim will be to find a solution, not just simply to end the government shutdown, to provide funding to end the crisis at our southern border, to achieve real border security and to build a wall on our southern border," Pence said. A quick end to the stalemate does not appear to be in sight, however, as Democrats, who now control the House of Representatives, seem in no mood to make concessions. "We are committed to keeping our borders safe," Nancy Pelosi, who took over as speaker of the House on Thursday, told reporters following the meeting with the president. But, Pelosi added, "we recognize on the Democratic side that we really cannot resolve this until we open up government. "And we made that very clear to the president," she said. "Services are being withheld from the American people. Paychecks are being withheld." Both Democrats and Republicans have attempted to pin the blame for the shutdown on the other side and Pelosi has ruled out funding for a border wall she has described as an "immorality." Shortly after the new Congress was sworn in on Thursday, the House approved legislation to fund homeland security operations until February 8 and several other agencies through September -- but no money for a wall. Trump has said he would veto any bill that does not include funding for the barrier and the Republican-run Senate has said it would not consider anything that does not pass muster with the president. The fight over the wall is setting the stage for what could be a tumultuous final two years in office for Trump faced with a hostile Democratic-controlled House equipped with investigative powers. Some newly seated Democrats have even called for impeachment proceedings against the Republican president although Pelosi has distanced herself from those appeals for the time being. "We talked about (impeachment) today," Trump said. "Nancy said 'We're not looking to impeach you.'" Trump also sought to defend his record saying "you don't impeach people when they're doing a good job."

Ready to shut government for months or even years: Trump

House of Representatives Democrats will introduce legislation this week intended to end a partial <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-congress-meets-briefly-takes-no-action-on-shutdown-186889">US&nbsp;government shutdown</a> and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8, including $1.3 billion for border security but not the $5 billion President Donald Trump has demanded for a border wall, a senior Democratic aide said on Monday.

Democrats, set this week to take control of the House from Trump's fellow Republicans, they will also offer legislation to provide year-long funding for other agencies and departments that have been closed by a partial government shutdown that began on December 22, the aide said.

Democrats have said they intend to vote on legislation to reopen the government on Thursday when the new Congress convenes.

The homeland security legislation is based on a measure that has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Trump's demand for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border led to an impasse in Congress over legislation to keep parts of the federal government funded.

Efforts to broker a solution since the shutdown began have failed and given way to a blame game between Democrats, Trump and other Republicans.

Meanwhile, On December 28 both chambers of the US Congress convened for only a few minutes showing little sense of urgency over the shutdown but took no steps to end it.

Trump wants the money to be included in spending measures that Congress must pass to restore funding to several government agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and Commerce.

Democrats have said they intend to vote on legislation to reopen the government on Thursday when the new Congress convenes.

House of Representatives Democrats will introduce legislation this week intended to end a partial US government shutdown and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8, including $1.3 billion for border security but not the $5 billion President Donald Trump has demanded for a border wall, a senior Democratic aide said on Monday. Democrats, set this week to take control of the House from Trump's fellow Republicans, they will also offer legislation to provide year-long funding for other agencies and departments that have been closed by a partial government shutdown that began on December 22, the aide said. Democrats have said they intend to vote on legislation to reopen the government on Thursday when the new Congress convenes. The homeland security legislation is based on a measure that has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Trump's demand for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border led to an impasse in Congress over legislation to keep parts of the federal government funded. Efforts to broker a solution since the shutdown began have failed and given way to a blame game between Democrats, Trump and other Republicans. Meanwhile, On December 28 both chambers of the US Congress convened for only a few minutes showing little sense of urgency over the shutdown but took no steps to end it. Trump wants the money to be included in spending measures that Congress must pass to restore funding to several government agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and Commerce.

US House Democrats ready bills to reopen government with $1.3 billion for border security

President Donald Trump threatened Friday to seal off the US-Mexico border "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall.

In a burst of early morning tweets the president said the alternative to funding his hugely controversial wall project would be total separation from Mexico -- including making US car companies pull out their factories based on the other side of the frontier.

The threat yet again upped the ante in a political row that has led to a partial shutdown of the US government and seems set to dominate the start to the third year of Trump's presidency.

"We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall &amp; also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Trump tweeted.

With the border shut, Trump said he would take US-Mexican relations back to the days before the NAFTA agreement opened free trade across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

That would "bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs," he said.

Trump did not make any mention of the new free trade agreement, known as the USMCA, which he only recently signed with the two neighboring countries to replace NAFTA and which he has repeatedly praised as a huge boost for American commerce.

$5 billion question

Trump wants $5 billion in funding for a wall along the more than 2,000-mile border, which he says is currently too porous to stop illegal immigration and which he says has become a magnet for criminals, drugs and even terrorists.

Opponents -- especially in the Democratic party but also some in Trump's Republican party -- say that a physical wall is impractical and that the idea is being used as a political tool to whip up xenophobia in Trump's right-wing voter base.

Both sides have dug in. Democrats refuse to approve funding and the president -- who has made hardline immigration polices a centerpiece of his presidency -- has retaliated by refusing to sign off on a wider spending bill, leaving some 800,000 federal employees without pay.

Negotiations on lifting that partial government shutdown, perhaps by providing some border security funding, have sputtered out and no new debate is scheduled before next Wednesday.

Caravan 'invasion'

Experts are divided on solutions to policing the long, often inhospitable border separating the world's biggest economy from the far poorer countries to its south.

Although there is a huge cross-border drug trade and immigrants often enter illegally, many do have genuine claims for asylum.&nbsp;

Central Americans also are already deeply integrated in the US economy, often performing physically demanding, low-pay jobs in construction, agriculture and other vital sectors.

Despite this, Trump has consistently painted the asylum seekers and economic migrants in outlandish terms, raising the specter of rapists, gang members and people with infectious diseases roaming freely across the border.&nbsp;

In November, Trump threatened to close the "whole border" with Mexico if "it gets to a level where we're going to lose control or people are going to start getting hurt."

Trump and media outlets friendly to his administration have latched particularly on to what have become known as the "caravans" -- groups of several hundred or even more migrants who walk on epic treks across Central America and Mexico to try and reach the United States.

Although many in the "caravans" are families and people simply desperate for better, safer lives, Trump has portrayed the groups as organized attempts to invade the United States.

In one tweet Friday, Trump warned: "word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it."

As a result, he said, "we will be cutting off all aid" to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, impoverished, often dangerous countries where American assistance aims to boost democracy, human rights, education and security. 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump threatened Friday to seal off the US-Mexico border "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall. In a burst of early morning tweets the president said the alternative to funding his hugely controversial wall project would be total separation from Mexico -- including making US car companies pull out their factories based on the other side of the frontier.

President Donald Trump threatened Friday to seal off the US-Mexico border "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall. In a burst of early morning tweets the president said the alternative to funding his hugely controversial wall project would be total separation from Mexico -- including making US car companies pull out their factories based on the other side of the frontier. The threat yet again upped the ante in a political row that has led to a partial shutdown of the US government and seems set to dominate the start to the third year of Trump's presidency. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Trump tweeted. With the border shut, Trump said he would take US-Mexican relations back to the days before the NAFTA agreement opened free trade across Canada, Mexico and the United States. That would "bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs," he said. Trump did not make any mention of the new free trade agreement, known as the USMCA, which he only recently signed with the two neighboring countries to replace NAFTA and which he has repeatedly praised as a huge boost for American commerce. $5 billion question Trump wants $5 billion in funding for a wall along the more than 2,000-mile border, which he says is currently too porous to stop illegal immigration and which he says has become a magnet for criminals, drugs and even terrorists. Opponents -- especially in the Democratic party but also some in Trump's Republican party -- say that a physical wall is impractical and that the idea is being used as a political tool to whip up xenophobia in Trump's right-wing voter base. Both sides have dug in. Democrats refuse to approve funding and the president -- who has made hardline immigration polices a centerpiece of his presidency -- has retaliated by refusing to sign off on a wider spending bill, leaving some 800,000 federal employees without pay. Negotiations on lifting that partial government shutdown, perhaps by providing some border security funding, have sputtered out and no new debate is scheduled before next Wednesday. Caravan 'invasion' Experts are divided on solutions to policing the long, often inhospitable border separating the world's biggest economy from the far poorer countries to its south. Although there is a huge cross-border drug trade and immigrants often enter illegally, many do have genuine claims for asylum. Central Americans also are already deeply integrated in the US economy, often performing physically demanding, low-pay jobs in construction, agriculture and other vital sectors. Despite this, Trump has consistently painted the asylum seekers and economic migrants in outlandish terms, raising the specter of rapists, gang members and people with infectious diseases roaming freely across the border. In November, Trump threatened to close the "whole border" with Mexico if "it gets to a level where we're going to lose control or people are going to start getting hurt." Trump and media outlets friendly to his administration have latched particularly on to what have become known as the "caravans" -- groups of several hundred or even more migrants who walk on epic treks across Central America and Mexico to try and reach the United States. Although many in the "caravans" are families and people simply desperate for better, safer lives, Trump has portrayed the groups as organized attempts to invade the United States. In one tweet Friday, Trump warned: "word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it." As a result, he said, "we will be cutting off all aid" to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, impoverished, often dangerous countries where American assistance aims to boost democracy, human rights, education and security.

Trump threatens to 'entirely' close US-Mexico border unless wall demands met

Congress members trickled back into Washington Thursday but there was little hope of ending the government shutdown sparked by a row with President Donald Trump over his demand for US-Mexico border wall construction.

The Senate was in session after the Christmas break, but very few lawmakers were likely to appear and formal negotiations over the budget impasse were not expected.

A lapse in funding to parts of the government meanwhile entered the sixth day.

Trump, apparently not sleeping after a gruelling roundtrip to Iraq -- his first visit to US combat troops since being elected -- indicated on Twitter that he was in no mood to compromise.

He wants $5 billion for extensions and improvements to a Mexico border barrier that he has made the centrepiece of his domestic political platform, arguing that the United States needs protection from illegal immigration.

Opponents, who include some of Trump's own Republicans, accuse the president overhyping the immigration problem for political gain and say that a wall is not the best form of border security.

In retaliation Trump is refusing to sign a wider spending package, forcing large parts of the government to hibernate as 800,000 federal employees temporarily go unpaid.

Neither side has budged in the game of political chicken and on Thursday Trump remained defiant.

"Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border," he tweeted, barely three hours after arriving from the Iraq trip.

"Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members &amp; Criminals from coming into our Country," he said.

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Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border. Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking,Gang Members &amp; Criminals from coming into our Country. Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1078260814157701121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Economic jitters

Partial government shutdowns are not an unusual weapon in Washington budget negotiations, where party divides make cooperation a rarity.

But the rancour has spiralled under Trump's abrasive administration and is set to go even higher in January when the Democrats take over the House of Representatives, following their midterm election victory.

The mess has contributed to worries over the outlook for the US economy in 2019, following a surging 2018 performance.&nbsp;

The stock market had plummeted in recent days before making a record recovery on Wednesday, as investors reeled from Trump's barrage of criticism against the independent Federal Reserve.

Continuing the see-saw performance, Wall Street opened sharply lower Thursday.

Large sections of the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico are already divided by fences and other barriers.

But immigrants -- some fleeing danger and others just looking for jobs -- continue to cross illegally.

Trump's critics say that he is trampling over legally protected asylum rights and argue that resources should be channeled into higher-tech alternatives to a wall.

Managing the flow of illegal border crossers has been complicated by a shift from single men to more vulnerable families, including small children.

Two children from Guatemala have died while in custody of US authorities this month and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that "extraordinary protective measures" were required to handle the flow.

US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan warned Wednesday that the agency was unable to cope with the thousands of arrivals, as most facilities were built decades ago for men arriving alone.

"We need help from Congress. We need to budget for medical care and mental health care for children in our facilities," he told CBS News.

Trump, apparently not sleeping after a gruelling roundtrip to Iraq -- his first visit to US combat troops since being elected -- indicated on Twitter that he was in no mood to compromise.

Congress members trickled back into Washington Thursday but there was little hope of ending the government shutdown sparked by a row with President Donald Trump over his demand for US-Mexico border wall construction. The Senate was in session after the Christmas break, but very few lawmakers were likely to appear and formal negotiations over the budget impasse were not expected. A lapse in funding to parts of the government meanwhile entered the sixth day. Trump, apparently not sleeping after a gruelling roundtrip to Iraq -- his first visit to US combat troops since being elected -- indicated on Twitter that he was in no mood to compromise. He wants $5 billion for extensions and improvements to a Mexico border barrier that he has made the centrepiece of his domestic political platform, arguing that the United States needs protection from illegal immigration. Opponents, who include some of Trump's own Republicans, accuse the president overhyping the immigration problem for political gain and say that a wall is not the best form of border security. In retaliation Trump is refusing to sign a wider spending package, forcing large parts of the government to hibernate as 800,000 federal employees temporarily go unpaid. Neither side has budged in the game of political chicken and on Thursday Trump remained defiant. "Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border," he tweeted, barely three hours after arriving from the Iraq trip. "Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country," he said. Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border. Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking,Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country. Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2018 × Economic jitters Partial government shutdowns are not an unusual weapon in Washington budget negotiations, where party divides make cooperation a rarity. But the rancour has spiralled under Trump's abrasive administration and is set to go even higher in January when the Democrats take over the House of Representatives, following their midterm election victory. The mess has contributed to worries over the outlook for the US economy in 2019, following a surging 2018 performance. The stock market had plummeted in recent days before making a record recovery on Wednesday, as investors reeled from Trump's barrage of criticism against the independent Federal Reserve. Continuing the see-saw performance, Wall Street opened sharply lower Thursday. Large sections of the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico are already divided by fences and other barriers. But immigrants -- some fleeing danger and others just looking for jobs -- continue to cross illegally. Trump's critics say that he is trampling over legally protected asylum rights and argue that resources should be channeled into higher-tech alternatives to a wall. Managing the flow of illegal border crossers has been complicated by a shift from single men to more vulnerable families, including small children. Two children from Guatemala have died while in custody of US authorities this month and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that "extraordinary protective measures" were required to handle the flow. US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan warned Wednesday that the agency was unable to cope with the thousands of arrivals, as most facilities were built decades ago for men arriving alone. "We need help from Congress. We need to budget for medical care and mental health care for children in our facilities," he told CBS News.

Trump opens fire on sixth day of government shutdown

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is prepared to wait as long as it takes to get $5 billion from taxpayers for his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/its-the-only-way-to-stop-drugs-gangs-criminals-from-entering-us-trump-defends-demand-for-border-wall-186037">US-Mexico border wall</a>, a demand that has triggered a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-may-go-into-new-year-top-trump-aide-mulvaney-186044">partial shutdown</a> of the federal government that is now in its fifth day.

With no immediate end to the shutdown in sight, Trump made his remarks during a surprise visit to Iraq and blamed the shutdown on Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was expected to become speaker of the US&nbsp;House of Representatives on January&nbsp;3.

Trump had previously said he was prepared for a lengthy shutdown and when asked on Wednesday how long he would wait to get what he wants, he said, "Whatever it takes."

"Nancy is calling the shots," said the Republican president, suggesting that her opposition to his demand for wall funding had to do with Pelosi's need for votes to become speaker.

Pelosi largely locked up the speakership weeks ago.

"The American public is demanding a wall," Trump said while on the ground at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.

During a televised Dec. 11 meeting with Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Trump had said he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security" but has since shifted the blame to Democrats.

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised Mexico would pay for his proposed wall. After Mexico repeatedly refused to do so, he began seeking US&nbsp;taxpayer funding for the wall, which he sees as vital to controlling illegal immigration.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November found that improved border security was a top-three priority for only about 31 percent of Americans surveyed.

Even with both chambers of Congress and the White House under Republican control for the past two years, former real estate developer Trump has not gained full funding for his wall.

Democrats and some Republicans view it as a costly, unneeded and ineffective project, but some Republicans support the idea and back Trump's demand for $5 billion in partial funding.

"His resolve is very firm," Representative Mark Meadows, a conservative Republican, told CNN.

Following weeks of failed talks between Trump and congressional leaders, parts of the US&nbsp;government shut down on Saturday, affecting about 800,000 employees of the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and other agencies.

Most of the federal government, which directly employs almost 4 million people, is unaffected. The Defense Department and other key agencies are fully funded through Sept. 30.

Congress was scheduled to reconvene after a holiday break on Thursday and resume debate on the matter.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is prepared to wait as long as it takes to get $5 billion from taxpayers for his US-Mexico border wall, a demand that has triggered a partial shutdown of the federal government that is now in its fifth day.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is prepared to wait as long as it takes to get $5 billion from taxpayers for his US-Mexico border wall, a demand that has triggered a partial shutdown of the federal government that is now in its fifth day. With no immediate end to the shutdown in sight, Trump made his remarks during a surprise visit to Iraq and blamed the shutdown on Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was expected to become speaker of the US House of Representatives on January 3. Trump had previously said he was prepared for a lengthy shutdown and when asked on Wednesday how long he would wait to get what he wants, he said, "Whatever it takes." "Nancy is calling the shots," said the Republican president, suggesting that her opposition to his demand for wall funding had to do with Pelosi's need for votes to become speaker. Pelosi largely locked up the speakership weeks ago. "The American public is demanding a wall," Trump said while on the ground at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. During a televised Dec. 11 meeting with Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Trump had said he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security" but has since shifted the blame to Democrats. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised Mexico would pay for his proposed wall. After Mexico repeatedly refused to do so, he began seeking US taxpayer funding for the wall, which he sees as vital to controlling illegal immigration. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November found that improved border security was a top-three priority for only about 31 percent of Americans surveyed. Even with both chambers of Congress and the White House under Republican control for the past two years, former real estate developer Trump has not gained full funding for his wall. Democrats and some Republicans view it as a costly, unneeded and ineffective project, but some Republicans support the idea and back Trump's demand for $5 billion in partial funding. "His resolve is very firm," Representative Mark Meadows, a conservative Republican, told CNN. Following weeks of failed talks between Trump and congressional leaders, parts of the US government shut down on Saturday, affecting about 800,000 employees of the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and other agencies. Most of the federal government, which directly employs almost 4 million people, is unaffected. The Defense Department and other key agencies are fully funded through Sept. 30. Congress was scheduled to reconvene after a holiday break on Thursday and resume debate on the matter.

On shutdown, Trump vows to wait as long as it takes for wall funding

US govt shutdown hurting markets, no agreement in sight yet

President Trump said today the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-may-go-into-new-year-top-trump-aide-mulvaney-186044">US government won't open</a> till he gets approval for the Mexican border wall.

The US governmental agencies <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-may-affect-800000-federal-employees-185772">have been </a><a class="gr-progress" href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-may-affect-800000-federal-employees-185772">shutdown</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-may-affect-800000-federal-employees-185772"> for the past four days</a> with no breakthrough in sight after Democrats failed to convince the US president to pass a legislation to keep the government working.

"I can't tell you when the government is going to reopen," Trump said while speaking on Christmas Day via video conferencing with US troops serving abroad.

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I am in the Oval Office &amp; just gave out a 115 mile long contract for another large section of the Wall in Texas. We are already building and renovating many miles of Wall, some complete. Democrats must end Shutdown and finish funding. Billions of Dollars, &amp; lives, will be saved!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1077329121745793025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US government has been partially shutdown since Saturday as Democrats have openly sparred with the US president over the Mexican border wall, a key campaign issue for the president which he is determined to fulfil.

"It's Christmas Eve and President Trump is plunging the country into chaos," Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement as the shutdown dragged on. Trump, in fact, cancelled plans to go to his Florida resort for Christmas because of the shutdown.

Trump told the troops that he would visit that stretch of the border "at the end of January for the start of construction."

"It's going to be built, hopefully rapidly," he added.&nbsp;"It's going to all work out," the US president said.

Trump has demanded $ 5 billion for the Mexican border wall but the Democrats have signed up for $1.3 billion riling the president who is determined to get the border wall funding.

"I can tell you it's not going to reopen until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. I'll call it whatever they want, but it's all the same thing. It's a barrier from people pouring into the country, from drugs," the president said, adding,"If you don't have that (the wall), then we're just not opening."&nbsp;

Trump's budget director and White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had said earlier that the White House had made a counter-offer to Democrats on border security while media reports said vice-president Mike Pence had proposed $2.1 billion in funding in a meeting with Schumer earlier.

However, no breakthrough seems on sight as the government shutdown enters the fifth day on Wednesday.

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President Trump said today the US government won't open till he gets approval for the Mexican border wall. The US governmental agencies have been shutdown for the past four days with no breakthrough in sight after Democrats failed to convince the US president to pass a legislation to keep the government working.

President Trump said today the US government won't open till he gets approval for the Mexican border wall. The US governmental agencies have been shutdown for the past four days with no breakthrough in sight after Democrats failed to convince the US president to pass a legislation to keep the government working. "I can't tell you when the government is going to reopen," Trump said while speaking on Christmas Day via video conferencing with US troops serving abroad. I am in the Oval Office & just gave out a 115 mile long contract for another large section of the Wall in Texas. We are already building and renovating many miles of Wall, some complete. Democrats must end Shutdown and finish funding. Billions of Dollars, & lives, will be saved! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018 × The US government has been partially shutdown since Saturday as Democrats have openly sparred with the US president over the Mexican border wall, a key campaign issue for the president which he is determined to fulfil. "It's Christmas Eve and President Trump is plunging the country into chaos," Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement as the shutdown dragged on. Trump, in fact, cancelled plans to go to his Florida resort for Christmas because of the shutdown. Trump told the troops that he would visit that stretch of the border "at the end of January for the start of construction." "It's going to be built, hopefully rapidly," he added. "It's going to all work out," the US president said. Trump has demanded $ 5 billion for the Mexican border wall but the Democrats have signed up for $1.3 billion riling the president who is determined to get the border wall funding. "I can tell you it's not going to reopen until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. I'll call it whatever they want, but it's all the same thing. It's a barrier from people pouring into the country, from drugs," the president said, adding,"If you don't have that (the wall), then we're just not opening." Trump's budget director and White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had said earlier that the White House had made a counter-offer to Democrats on border security while media reports said vice-president Mike Pence had proposed $2.1 billion in funding in a meeting with Schumer earlier. However, no breakthrough seems on sight as the government shutdown enters the fifth day on Wednesday.

Government will not reopen until we have the Mexican border wall: Trump to US troops

The US government shutdown may have temporarily dimmed Washington's National Christmas Tree but never fear, Santa Claus still came to town —with the military tracking his path across the globe.

Just as it has since the 1950s the Canadian and American defence agency NORAD delivered live updates on the man in the red suit's international gift delivery route.

NORAD eased the fears of good little boys and girls concerned the tracker might be down, after US lawmakers failed to agree on a budget, triggering a partial shutdown of federal services, including the maintenance of the Christmas tree outside the White House.

"In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on December 24," the agency tweeted of the tracker, the Pentagon's largest public outreach program.

"Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year."

A 3-D interactive website showed Santa on his delivery route, allowing users to click and learn more about the various cities along the way.

Shortly before 1100 GMT, Father Christmas's reindeer-powered sleigh was heading home to the North Pole, having delivered more than 7.2 billion gifts.

In addition to tracking St Nick, volunteers donning military garb and Santa hats also respond to tens of thousands of calls and emails from eager children hoping to probe for details including their Christmas wish lists.

Do you believe in Santa?&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/on-christmas-eve-trump-tells-a-child-belief-in-santa-is-marginal-186296">The Trumps</a>, who cancelled their holiday trip to Mar a Lago, their residence and club in Florida, in light of the shutdown, took turn fielding calls from the White House on Monday evening.

"Hello, is this Coleman? Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you?" Trump said when answering one call.

But he went on to raise doubts about Santa's existence, asking: "Are you still a believer in Santa Claus? 'Cuz at seven it's marginal, right?"

Melania apparently managed to skirt the sensitive issue in calls she answered.

"I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. Thank you. Nice talking to you," she told one caller.

The couple later attended a Christmas Eve service at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Santa tracker presented by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) dates to 1955 when a Colorado newspaper advertisement misprinted a phone number to connect children with Santa and mistakenly directed them to the military nerve centre hotline.

To avoid disappointing the eager children, NORAD's director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, ordered his staff to check the radar to see where Santa might be and update the children on his location.

Decades later volunteers are armed with a 14-page playbook with talking points to respond to queries from excited children.

The Defense Department is able to follow Santa's journey thanks to satellites that pick up heat from lead reindeer Rudolph's bright red nose, which "gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch," according to Politico magazine.

And for those kids sceptical of Santa's existence?

"Historical data and more than 60 years of NORAD tracking information lead us to believe Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world," the Pentagon's handbook reads.

The US government shutdown may have temporarily dimmed Washington's National Christmas Tree but never fear, Santa Claus still came to town —with the military tracking his path across the globe.

The US government shutdown may have temporarily dimmed Washington's National Christmas Tree but never fear, Santa Claus still came to town —with the military tracking his path across the globe. Just as it has since the 1950s the Canadian and American defence agency NORAD delivered live updates on the man in the red suit's international gift delivery route. NORAD eased the fears of good little boys and girls concerned the tracker might be down, after US lawmakers failed to agree on a budget, triggering a partial shutdown of federal services, including the maintenance of the Christmas tree outside the White House. "In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on December 24," the agency tweeted of the tracker, the Pentagon's largest public outreach program. "Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year." A 3-D interactive website showed Santa on his delivery route, allowing users to click and learn more about the various cities along the way. Shortly before 1100 GMT, Father Christmas's reindeer-powered sleigh was heading home to the North Pole, having delivered more than 7.2 billion gifts. In addition to tracking St Nick, volunteers donning military garb and Santa hats also respond to tens of thousands of calls and emails from eager children hoping to probe for details including their Christmas wish lists. Do you believe in Santa? The Trumps, who cancelled their holiday trip to Mar a Lago, their residence and club in Florida, in light of the shutdown, took turn fielding calls from the White House on Monday evening. "Hello, is this Coleman? Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you?" Trump said when answering one call. But he went on to raise doubts about Santa's existence, asking: "Are you still a believer in Santa Claus? 'Cuz at seven it's marginal, right?" Melania apparently managed to skirt the sensitive issue in calls she answered. "I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. Thank you. Nice talking to you," she told one caller. The couple later attended a Christmas Eve service at the Washington National Cathedral. The Santa tracker presented by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) dates to 1955 when a Colorado newspaper advertisement misprinted a phone number to connect children with Santa and mistakenly directed them to the military nerve centre hotline. To avoid disappointing the eager children, NORAD's director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, ordered his staff to check the radar to see where Santa might be and update the children on his location. Decades later volunteers are armed with a 14-page playbook with talking points to respond to queries from excited children. The Defense Department is able to follow Santa's journey thanks to satellites that pick up heat from lead reindeer Rudolph's bright red nose, which "gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch," according to Politico magazine. And for those kids sceptical of Santa's existence? "Historical data and more than 60 years of NORAD tracking information lead us to believe Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world," the Pentagon's handbook reads.

Military Santa tracker 'NORAD' live despite US government shutdown

The US government began a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shuts-down-at-midnight-as-house-adjourns-with-no-deal-185738">Christmas shutdown </a>early Saturday after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall.

Operations for several key <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/standoff-over-trump-wall-leaves-us-govt-5-days-away-from-shutdown-184833">agencies ceased at </a>12:01 am Saturday (5:01 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.

Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed when the clock struck midnight on Friday.

The shutdown is the third this year and it remained unclear how long it would last. Trump expressed hope late Friday night that it "will not last long," after earlier saying he was ready for just that.

The optics are bad, as 800,000 federal employees will be either furloughed or forced to work without pay in the run-up to the Christmas holiday.

But the prospect of a large portion of government workers going without paychecks was not enough to spur lawmakers or the president to action.

The House of Representatives adjourned just before 7:00 pm &nbsp;Friday, with no moves taken to avert a shutdown, and the Senate closed up shop an hour later.&nbsp;

Both are due back in session at noon Saturday.

About three-quarters of the government, including the military and the Department of Health and Human Services, is fully funded until the end of September 2019, leaving 25 per cent unfunded as of Saturday.&nbsp;

Most NASA employees will be sent home, as will Commerce Department workers and many at the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and State.

National parks will remain open, but most park staff will stay at home.&nbsp;

While most critical security functions will be operational, the effects of the budget wrangling and uncertainty have cast an air of chaos over the capital, which is also reeling from the resignation announcement Thursday by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Wall Street ended its worst week in a decade with more bruising losses Friday.

And the inability of Washington to accomplish one of its most basic tasks — keeping the government up and running— has caused deep embarrassment and anxiety.

'Prepared' for shutdown&nbsp;

"It's up to the Democrats whether or not we have a shutdown tonight," Trump said earlier Friday, blaming political opponents for the crisis.

"I hope we don't," the president added, but "we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

Senators told reporters that congressional leaders from both parties were negotiating behind the scenes with White House officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

The power trio shuttled from one side of the Capitol to the other, seeking a breakthrough with Republicans and Democrats.&nbsp;

It did not come on Friday.

Should they eventually strike a deal, it could swiftly clear Congress and reach the president's desk, said Senate Republican Bob Corker.&nbsp;

"Now Republicans and Democrats both own the success or failure to fund government."

One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP.

But conservatives in the House would likely baulk at that figure.

"There's no agreement," Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he left a closed-door meeting on the Capitol's Senate side.

"There's a whole lot of numbers being thrown around," but a maximum $1.6 billion for border security "is not acceptable."

Cornyn suggested the art of the deal was less about grandstanding and more about a logical compromise to break the impasse.

"The House is at five (billion dollars for border security), the Democrats are at zero," he said. "It doesn't sound like that's rocket science to come up with a figure."

'Hostage'

Trump reversed course Thursday and rejected a measure that had unanimously passed the Senate and was under House consideration.

It would have extended government funding until February 8, but contained no money for a border wall, a pet project Trump has fought for since his presidential campaign.

Democrats painted Trump as the Grinch who stole the year-end deal.

"This #shutdown is brought to you by @POTUS &amp; @HouseGOP," Congresswoman Kathleen Rice tweeted. "Instead of passing the Senate's funding bill, they decided to hold this country hostage."

With lawmakers like Meadows and prominent conservative commentators demanding that the president sticks to his campaign promises, Trump doubled down on his wall.

The House swiftly passed a bill that fulfilled the president's demands. It included $5.7 billion in wall funding and $7.8 billion in disaster relief.

But it stalled at the first hurdle in the Senate.

Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida Friday for his Christmas break, but he postponed the trip to help salvage a deal.

The US government began a Christmas shutdown early Saturday after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall.

The US government began a Christmas shutdown early Saturday after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall. Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01 am Saturday (5:01 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties. Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal means federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed when the clock struck midnight on Friday. The shutdown is the third this year and it remained unclear how long it would last. Trump expressed hope late Friday night that it "will not last long," after earlier saying he was ready for just that. The optics are bad, as 800,000 federal employees will be either furloughed or forced to work without pay in the run-up to the Christmas holiday. But the prospect of a large portion of government workers going without paychecks was not enough to spur lawmakers or the president to action. The House of Representatives adjourned just before 7:00 pm Friday, with no moves taken to avert a shutdown, and the Senate closed up shop an hour later. Both are due back in session at noon Saturday. About three-quarters of the government, including the military and the Department of Health and Human Services, is fully funded until the end of September 2019, leaving 25 per cent unfunded as of Saturday. Most NASA employees will be sent home, as will Commerce Department workers and many at the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture and State. National parks will remain open, but most park staff will stay at home. While most critical security functions will be operational, the effects of the budget wrangling and uncertainty have cast an air of chaos over the capital, which is also reeling from the resignation announcement Thursday by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Wall Street ended its worst week in a decade with more bruising losses Friday. And the inability of Washington to accomplish one of its most basic tasks — keeping the government up and running— has caused deep embarrassment and anxiety. 'Prepared' for shutdown "It's up to the Democrats whether or not we have a shutdown tonight," Trump said earlier Friday, blaming political opponents for the crisis. "I hope we don't," the president added, but "we're totally prepared for a very long shutdown." Senators told reporters that congressional leaders from both parties were negotiating behind the scenes with White House officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. The power trio shuttled from one side of the Capitol to the other, seeking a breakthrough with Republicans and Democrats. It did not come on Friday. Should they eventually strike a deal, it could swiftly clear Congress and reach the president's desk, said Senate Republican Bob Corker. "Now Republicans and Democrats both own the success or failure to fund government." One focus of discussion was the $1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP. But conservatives in the House would likely baulk at that figure. "There's no agreement," Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus of ultra-conservatives, told reporters as he left a closed-door meeting on the Capitol's Senate side. "There's a whole lot of numbers being thrown around," but a maximum $1.6 billion for border security "is not acceptable." Cornyn suggested the art of the deal was less about grandstanding and more about a logical compromise to break the impasse. "The House is at five (billion dollars for border security), the Democrats are at zero," he said. "It doesn't sound like that's rocket science to come up with a figure." 'Hostage' Trump reversed course Thursday and rejected a measure that had unanimously passed the Senate and was under House consideration. It would have extended government funding until February 8, but contained no money for a border wall, a pet project Trump has fought for since his presidential campaign. Democrats painted Trump as the Grinch who stole the year-end deal. "This #shutdown is brought to you by @POTUS & @HouseGOP," Congresswoman Kathleen Rice tweeted. "Instead of passing the Senate's funding bill, they decided to hold this country hostage." With lawmakers like Meadows and prominent conservative commentators demanding that the president sticks to his campaign promises, Trump doubled down on his wall. The House swiftly passed a bill that fulfilled the president's demands. It included $5.7 billion in wall funding and $7.8 billion in disaster relief. But it stalled at the first hurdle in the Senate. Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida Friday for his Christmas break, but he postponed the trip to help salvage a deal.

US government partially shuts as Congress, Trump fail to reach deal

Benchmark indices opened on a choppy note Friday on negative global cues amid fears of a potential <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-refuses-to-sign-us-government-shutdown-legislation-over-mexico-wall-funding-185571">US government shutdown</a> and rising tension between the US and China.

After falling over 100 points in the opening session, the 30-share Sensex was trading 14.82 points or 0.04 per cent, higher at 36,416.85. The index had finished 52.66 points, or 0.14 per cent, lower at 36,431.67 Thursday.

The NSE Nifty, too, was trading 2.25 points, or 0.02 per cent, lower at 10,949.45.

Domestic and other Asian stocks followed Wall Street that fell sharply after US President Donald Trump's demand for border wall funds pushed the federal government closer to a shutdown.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/wall-street-stocks-slump-over-us-government-shutdown-fears-185583">Wall Street stocks slump over US government shutdown fears</a>

The White House said Trump will not travel to Florida Friday for the Christmas holiday if the government is shutting down. More than 8,00,000 federal workers will be facing furloughs or forced to work without pay if a resolution is not reached before funding expires at midnight Friday.

Meanwhile, China accused the US of fabricating facts after the US Justice Department indicted two hackers tied to Chinese security services who allegedly targeted companies and agencies in a dozen countries, adding fuel to the rift between the two countries, experts said.

Top losers include Infosys, Asian Paints, HDFC, TCS, PowerGrid, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp, shedding up to 2 per cent.

While the gainers include Airtel, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Adani Ports and Vedanta, rising up to 2 per cent.

The rupee, meanwhile, weakened against the US dollar, and was trading at 70.05 a dollar.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading 1.07 per cent higher at USD 54.93 per barrel.

On a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 386.44 crore Thursday, and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs

87.96 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.15 per cent, Japan's Nikkei fell 1 per cent and Shanghai Composite Index edged lower by 1.01 per cent in early trade.

On Wall Street, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 464.06 points, or 1.99 per cent, lower at 22,859.60 Thursday.&nbsp;

Benchmark indices opened on a choppy note Friday on negative global cues amid fears of a potential US government shutdown and rising tension between the US and China.

Benchmark indices opened on a choppy note Friday on negative global cues amid fears of a potential US government shutdown and rising tension between the US and China. After falling over 100 points in the opening session, the 30-share Sensex was trading 14.82 points or 0.04 per cent, higher at 36,416.85. The index had finished 52.66 points, or 0.14 per cent, lower at 36,431.67 Thursday. The NSE Nifty, too, was trading 2.25 points, or 0.02 per cent, lower at 10,949.45. Domestic and other Asian stocks followed Wall Street that fell sharply after US President Donald Trump's demand for border wall funds pushed the federal government closer to a shutdown. Also read: Wall Street stocks slump over US government shutdown fears The White House said Trump will not travel to Florida Friday for the Christmas holiday if the government is shutting down. More than 8,00,000 federal workers will be facing furloughs or forced to work without pay if a resolution is not reached before funding expires at midnight Friday. Meanwhile, China accused the US of fabricating facts after the US Justice Department indicted two hackers tied to Chinese security services who allegedly targeted companies and agencies in a dozen countries, adding fuel to the rift between the two countries, experts said. Top losers include Infosys, Asian Paints, HDFC, TCS, PowerGrid, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp, shedding up to 2 per cent. While the gainers include Airtel, M&M, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Adani Ports and Vedanta, rising up to 2 per cent. The rupee, meanwhile, weakened against the US dollar, and was trading at 70.05 a dollar. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading 1.07 per cent higher at USD 54.93 per barrel. On a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 386.44 crore Thursday, and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 87.96 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed. Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.15 per cent, Japan's Nikkei fell 1 per cent and Shanghai Composite Index edged lower by 1.01 per cent in early trade. On Wall Street, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 464.06 points, or 1.99 per cent, lower at 22,859.60 Thursday.

Sensex falls 100 points in early trade amid US government shutdown tension

US lawmakers are working <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/senate-clears-bill-in-a-bid-to-end-us-shutdown-32302">overtime against a Friday midnight</a> deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

The shutdown,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-to-begin-at-midnight-as-senate-adjourns-32283"> if it happens again, could</a> be the third time this year.

Republicans and Democrats are working to set a $1.2 trillion spending deal together. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that &quot;some unresolved issues&quot; remained, but he was hoping it would be finalized and released.

&quot;A few sticking points remain, but we are very close&quot; to a deal, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.

&quot;We&#39;re at the end of negotiations, I don&#39;t want to jeopardize anything,&quot; he added.

The measures include outlines of a 2018-2019 budget deal reached last month that boosts both military and domestic spending by more than 10 per cent.

The plan provides $307 million more than Trump requested for the FBI to counter Russian cyber attacks and $380 million for US states to improve voting technology before November&#39;s congressional election, according to a Reuters source.

There are several sticking points as Republicans and Democrats haggle over issues which include the Mexican Wall, Obamacare and fixing the tax law.

According to Reuters, President Trump wants $25 billion for the Mexican wall, but negotiations fell through to provide more money in exchange for protections for &quot;Dreamers,&quot; young adults brought illegally into the United States as children.

As the clock ticks, both Republicans and Democrats are working behind the scenes, spending time making phone calls in an attempt to keep the US government running.

The shutdown, if it happens again, could be the third time this year.

US lawmakers are working overtime against a Friday midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The shutdown, if it happens again, could be the third time this year. Republicans and Democrats are working to set a $1.2 trillion spending deal together. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that "some unresolved issues" remained, but he was hoping it would be finalized and released. "A few sticking points remain, but we are very close" to a deal, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said. "We're at the end of negotiations, I don't want to jeopardize anything," he added. The measures include outlines of a 2018-2019 budget deal reached last month that boosts both military and domestic spending by more than 10 per cent. The plan provides $307 million more than Trump requested for the FBI to counter Russian cyber attacks and $380 million for US states to improve voting technology before November's congressional election, according to a Reuters source. There are several sticking points as Republicans and Democrats haggle over issues which include the Mexican Wall, Obamacare and fixing the tax law. According to Reuters, President Trump wants $25 billion for the Mexican wall, but negotiations fell through to provide more money in exchange for protections for "Dreamers," young adults brought illegally into the United States as children. As the clock ticks, both Republicans and Democrats are working behind the scenes, spending time making phone calls in an attempt to keep the US government running.

As another US government shutdown looms, Republicans, Democrats haggle over spending

The US government <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-in-shutdown-as-midnight-deadline-passes-30128">officially shut down</a> at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a last-minute deal to fund its operations, divided in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security.

In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep working.

After previous government shutdowns, Congress passed measures to ensure that all unpaid workers received retroactive pay. The Trump administration would support a similar measure, a senior administration official said on Friday.

Workers began finding out on Friday whether they would be furloughed, but official notices would come as early as Saturday. They would receive their last paycheck for work up until the shutdown on Friday January 26.

The last shutdown, in October 2013, lasted more than two weeks and more than 800,000 federal employees were furloughed. There is no official tally of how many would be off work this time. Here are some details about what happened in 2013, along with some recent updates from officials:

Military: The Defense Department said on Friday that a shutdown would not affect the US&nbsp;military&#39;s war in Afghanistan or its operations against Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria. All 1.3 million military personnel on active duty would remain on normal duty status. Civilian personnel in nonessential operations would be furloughed. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said a sustained funding impasse would cause ships to go without maintenance and aircraft to be grounded.

Justice: The Justice Department has many essential workers. Under its shutdown contingency plan, about 95,000 of the department&#39;s almost 115,000 staff would keep working.

Financial oversight: The stock market-policing Securities and Exchange Commission funds itself by collecting fees from the financial industry, but its budget is set by Congress. It has said in the past it would be able to continue operations temporarily in a shutdown. But it would have to furlough workers if Congress went weeks before approving new funding.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, meanwhile, would have to furlough 95 per cent of its employees immediately. An agency spokeswoman said the derivatives regulator could, however, call in additional staff in the event of a financial market emergency.

White House: More than 1,000 of the 1,715 staff at the White House would be furloughed, the Trump administration said on Friday. The president would be provided with enough support to carry out his constitutional duties, including staff needed for a planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, administration officials said.

National Parks: The Trump administration plans to keep national parks open with rangers and security guards on duty. The parks were closed in 2013 and it resulted in a loss of 750,000 daily visitors, said the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. The National Park Service (NPS) estimated the shutdown resulted in $500 million in lost visitor spending in areas around the parks and the Smithsonian museums.

Washington tourist sites: In 2013, popular tourist sites such as the Smithsonian closed, with barricades going up at the Lincoln Memorial, the Library of Congress and the National Archives. The Trump administration does not plan to barricade open-air monuments this time, officials said. The Smithsonian has said its museums could remain open for the first weekend. The NPS, which oversees many Washington landmarks, including the National Mall, has said it has a plan in place so that &quot;First Amendment activities&quot; can continue during a shutdown.

Taxes: The Internal Revenue Service furloughed 90 per cent of its staff in 2013, the liberal Center for American Progress said. About $4 billion in tax refunds were delayed as a result, according to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Mail delivery: Deliveries would continue as usual because the US&nbsp;Postal Service receives no tax dollars for day-to-day operations.

Travel: Air and rail travellers did not feel a big impact in 2013 because security officers and air traffic controllers remained at work. Passport processing continued with some delays.

Courts: The Administrative Office of the US&nbsp;Courts has said federal courts, including the Supreme Court, could continue to operate normally for about three weeks without additional funding.

Healthcare: In 2013, the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly continued largely without disruption. Hundreds of patients could not enroll in National Institutes of Health clinical trials, according to the OMB. A program at the US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track flu outbreaks was temporarily halted in 2013. This time, the CDC will continue its work to track the flu outbreak, an official said.

Children: Six Head Start programs in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina serving about 6,300 children shut for nine days in 2013, the OMB said.

Social security: Social Security and disability checks were issued in 2013 with no change in payment dates and field offices remained open but offered limited services. There were delays in the review process for new applicants.

Loans: Processing of mortgages and other loans was delayed when lenders could not access government services such as income and Social Security number verification. The Small Business Administration was unable to process about 700 applications for $140 million in loans until the shutdown ended, OMB said.

Veterans: Most employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs would not be subject to furlough. VA hospitals would remain open and veterans&#39; benefits would continue, but education assistance and case appeals would be delayed, the department said.

Food inspections: Department of Agriculture meat inspectors stayed on the job. Agricultural statistical reports ceased publication. The USDA&#39;s website went dark.

Energy: The Department of Energy said on Friday that since most of its appropriations are for multiple years, employees should report to work as normal during a shutdown until told otherwise. If there was a prolonged lapse in funding a &quot;limited number&quot; of workers may be placed on furlough.

In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave.

The US government officially shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a last-minute deal to fund its operations, divided in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security. In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep working. After previous government shutdowns, Congress passed measures to ensure that all unpaid workers received retroactive pay. The Trump administration would support a similar measure, a senior administration official said on Friday. Workers began finding out on Friday whether they would be furloughed, but official notices would come as early as Saturday. They would receive their last paycheck for work up until the shutdown on Friday January 26. The last shutdown, in October 2013, lasted more than two weeks and more than 800,000 federal employees were furloughed. There is no official tally of how many would be off work this time. Here are some details about what happened in 2013, along with some recent updates from officials: Military: The Defense Department said on Friday that a shutdown would not affect the US military's war in Afghanistan or its operations against Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria. All 1.3 million military personnel on active duty would remain on normal duty status. Civilian personnel in nonessential operations would be furloughed. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said a sustained funding impasse would cause ships to go without maintenance and aircraft to be grounded. Justice: The Justice Department has many essential workers. Under its shutdown contingency plan, about 95,000 of the department's almost 115,000 staff would keep working. Financial oversight: The stock market-policing Securities and Exchange Commission funds itself by collecting fees from the financial industry, but its budget is set by Congress. It has said in the past it would be able to continue operations temporarily in a shutdown. But it would have to furlough workers if Congress went weeks before approving new funding. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, meanwhile, would have to furlough 95 per cent of its employees immediately. An agency spokeswoman said the derivatives regulator could, however, call in additional staff in the event of a financial market emergency. White House: More than 1,000 of the 1,715 staff at the White House would be furloughed, the Trump administration said on Friday. The president would be provided with enough support to carry out his constitutional duties, including staff needed for a planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, administration officials said. National Parks: The Trump administration plans to keep national parks open with rangers and security guards on duty. The parks were closed in 2013 and it resulted in a loss of 750,000 daily visitors, said the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. The National Park Service (NPS) estimated the shutdown resulted in $500 million in lost visitor spending in areas around the parks and the Smithsonian museums. Washington tourist sites: In 2013, popular tourist sites such as the Smithsonian closed, with barricades going up at the Lincoln Memorial, the Library of Congress and the National Archives. The Trump administration does not plan to barricade open-air monuments this time, officials said. The Smithsonian has said its museums could remain open for the first weekend. The NPS, which oversees many Washington landmarks, including the National Mall, has said it has a plan in place so that "First Amendment activities" can continue during a shutdown. Taxes: The Internal Revenue Service furloughed 90 per cent of its staff in 2013, the liberal Center for American Progress said. About $4 billion in tax refunds were delayed as a result, according to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Mail delivery: Deliveries would continue as usual because the US Postal Service receives no tax dollars for day-to-day operations. Travel: Air and rail travellers did not feel a big impact in 2013 because security officers and air traffic controllers remained at work. Passport processing continued with some delays. Courts: The Administrative Office of the US Courts has said federal courts, including the Supreme Court, could continue to operate normally for about three weeks without additional funding. Healthcare: In 2013, the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly continued largely without disruption. Hundreds of patients could not enroll in National Institutes of Health clinical trials, according to the OMB. A program at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track flu outbreaks was temporarily halted in 2013. This time, the CDC will continue its work to track the flu outbreak, an official said. Children: Six Head Start programs in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina serving about 6,300 children shut for nine days in 2013, the OMB said. Social security: Social Security and disability checks were issued in 2013 with no change in payment dates and field offices remained open but offered limited services. There were delays in the review process for new applicants. Loans: Processing of mortgages and other loans was delayed when lenders could not access government services such as income and Social Security number verification. The Small Business Administration was unable to process about 700 applications for $140 million in loans until the shutdown ended, OMB said. Veterans: Most employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs would not be subject to furlough. VA hospitals would remain open and veterans' benefits would continue, but education assistance and case appeals would be delayed, the department said. Food inspections: Department of Agriculture meat inspectors stayed on the job. Agricultural statistical reports ceased publication. The USDA's website went dark. Energy: The Department of Energy said on Friday that since most of its appropriations are for multiple years, employees should report to work as normal during a shutdown until told otherwise. If there was a prolonged lapse in funding a "limited number" of workers may be placed on furlough.

What happens in a US government shutdown?

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In a shocking incident, a Class XII student of Swami Vivekanand School in Haryana&#39;s Yamunanagar was detained for allegedly shooting dead his school&#39;s principal on Saturday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-blames-democrats-for-government-shutdown-twitter-30160">Donald Trump blames Democrats for US government shutdown</a> 
US President Donald Trump blamed Democrat lawmakers for a shutdown of the federal government that went into effect on Saturday.

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AAP leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Saturday lashed out at Centre and Congress saying that no MLAs were holding any office of profit.

 
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US President Donald Trump blamed Democrat lawmakers for a shutdown of the federal government that went into effect on Saturday.

Haryana: Class 12 student guns down principal inside school In a shocking incident, a Class XII student of Swami Vivekanand School in Haryana's Yamunanagar was detained for allegedly shooting dead his school's principal on Saturday. Donald Trump blames Democrats for US government shutdown US President Donald Trump blamed Democrat lawmakers for a shutdown of the federal government that went into effect on Saturday. AAP MLAs disqualification: President should hear our views as well, says Manish Sisodia AAP leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Saturday lashed out at Centre and Congress saying that no MLAs were holding any office of profit. National Herald case: Subramanian Swamy submits IT order against Rahul, Sonia Gandhi BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has produced an IT order in court against the Young Indian company majorly owned by Sonai and Rahul Gandhi. Myanmar finalises preparations for repatriation of Rohingya Muslims Myanmar is making final preparations to take back the first batch of Rohingya Muslims who had fled conflict in troubled Rakhine state, state media said on Saturday.

WION News Brief, December 20, 2018

The US Senate adjourned late Sunday without reaching a deal on re-opening government, as the Republican leadership postponed a vote on ending the shutdown until noon on Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had sought to move up a 1:00 am (0600 GMT) Monday vote to 10:00 pm Sunday night, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer objected. He said that despite continuing negotiations, &quot;we have yet to reach agreement on a path forward that will be acceptable for both sides.&quot;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-suggests-nuclear-option-to-end-us-government-shutdown-30280" target="_blank">Trump suggests &#39;nuclear option&#39; to end US government shutdown</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tries-to-fix-government-shutdown-over-phone-30273" target="_blank">Trump tries to fix government shutdown over phone</a>

The postponement to mid-day Monday means the United States will begin its upcoming work week with much of the federal government shuttered.

The postponement means the United States will begin its work week with much of the federal government shuttered

The US Senate adjourned late Sunday without reaching a deal on re-opening government, as the Republican leadership postponed a vote on ending the shutdown until noon on Monday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had sought to move up a 1:00 am (0600 GMT) Monday vote to 10:00 pm Sunday night, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer objected. He said that despite continuing negotiations, "we have yet to reach agreement on a path forward that will be acceptable for both sides." Also read: Trump suggests 'nuclear option' to end US government shutdown Also read: Trump tries to fix government shutdown over phone The postponement to mid-day Monday means the United States will begin its upcoming work week with much of the federal government shuttered.

US Senate postpones vote on ending shutdown to noon Monday

The US government officially shut down on Saturday, the first anniversary of President Donald Trump&#39;s inauguration, after lawmakers failed to agree a stop-gap spending deal.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-happens-in-a-us-government-shutdown-30134" target="_blank">What happens in a US government shutdown?</a>

Senators were still negotiating on the Senate floor as the clock turned midnight, but Trump&#39;s office issued a statement blaming opposition Democrats for the crisis.

&quot;We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands,&quot; White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Democratic leaders have blamed the breakdown of a possible deal on Trump&#39;s refusal to fund a program that protects 700,000 &quot;Dreamers&quot; -- undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children -- from deportation.

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-year-on-trump-leads-divided-us-into-government-shutdown-30126">One year on, Trump leads divided </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-year-on-trump-leads-divided-us-into-government-shutdown-30126">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-year-on-trump-leads-divided-us-into-government-shutdown-30126"> into government shutdown</a> 
 
US federal services and military operations deemed essential will continue, but thousands of government workers will be sent home without pay until the crisis is resolved.

The US government officially shut down on Saturday, the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration, after lawmakers failed to agree a stop-gap spending deal

The US government officially shut down on Saturday, the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration, after lawmakers failed to agree a stop-gap spending deal. Also read: What happens in a US government shutdown? Senators were still negotiating on the Senate floor as the clock turned midnight, but Trump's office issued a statement blaming opposition Democrats for the crisis. "We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Democratic leaders have blamed the breakdown of a possible deal on Trump's refusal to fund a program that protects 700,000 "Dreamers" -- undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children -- from deportation. Also Read: One year on, Trump leads divided US into government shutdown US federal services and military operations deemed essential will continue, but thousands of government workers will be sent home without pay until the crisis is resolved.

US government in shutdown as midnight deadline passes