President Donald Trump stood firm Sunday on his demand for billions of dollars to fund a border wall with Mexico, which has forced a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-shutdown-talks-falter-trump-threatens-emergency-powers-188412">shutdown of the US government</a> now entering its third week.

"We have to build the wall," Trump told reporters as he left the White House for the Camp David presidential retreat while conceding that the barrier could be "steel instead of concrete."&nbsp;

"It's about safety, it's about security for our country," he said. "We have no choice."

An impasse with lawmakers over funding for the border wall has partially shut down the federal government since December 22.

Talks aimed at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/on-shutdown-trump-vows-to-wait-as-long-as-it-takes-for-wall-funding-186753">ending the shutdown</a> were to continue Sunday, after discussions a day earlier between Vice President Mike Pence and representatives of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, the top two Democrats in Congress, made little headway.

Democrats, who now control the House of Representatives, seem in no mood to make concessions to the president on a border wall Pelosi has described as an "immorality."

"This shutdown could end tomorrow and it could also go on for a long time," Trump said. "It really depends on the Democrats."&nbsp;

Both Democrats and Republicans have attempted to pin the blame for the shutdown on the other side.

Building a wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border was a central plank in the 2016 election campaign of Trump, who has sought to equate immigrants with crime, drugs and gangs.

The president has described the situation at the border as a "national emergency," and has said he is looking into ways to get a wall built without congressional approval.

President Donald Trump stood firm Sunday on his demand for billions of dollars to fund a border wall with Mexico, which has forced a shutdown of the US government now entering its third week.

President Donald Trump stood firm Sunday on his demand for billions of dollars to fund a border wall with Mexico, which has forced a shutdown of the US government now entering its third week. "We have to build the wall," Trump told reporters as he left the White House for the Camp David presidential retreat while conceding that the barrier could be "steel instead of concrete." "It's about safety, it's about security for our country," he said. "We have no choice." An impasse with lawmakers over funding for the border wall has partially shut down the federal government since December 22. Talks aimed at ending the shutdown were to continue Sunday, after discussions a day earlier between Vice President Mike Pence and representatives of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, the top two Democrats in Congress, made little headway. Democrats, who now control the House of Representatives, seem in no mood to make concessions to the president on a border wall Pelosi has described as an "immorality." "This shutdown could end tomorrow and it could also go on for a long time," Trump said. "It really depends on the Democrats." Both Democrats and Republicans have attempted to pin the blame for the shutdown on the other side. Building a wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border was a central plank in the 2016 election campaign of Trump, who has sought to equate immigrants with crime, drugs and gangs. The president has described the situation at the border as a "national emergency," and has said he is looking into ways to get a wall built without congressional approval.

As shutdown enters third week, Trump continues to say 'we have to build the wall'

President Donald Trump and senior Democrats failed to strike a deal in talks on Friday to end a partial <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-refuses-to-sign-us-government-shutdown-legislation-over-mexico-wall-funding-185571">shutdown of the US government</a> as they again fought over Trump`s request for over $5 billion to fund his signature wall on the Mexican border.&nbsp;

After Democratic congressional leaders turned Trump down at a meeting in the White House Situation Room, the Republican president threatened to take the controversial step of using emergency powers to build the wall without approval from Congress.

Trump is withholding his support for a bill that would fully fund the government until he secures the money for the wall. As a result around 800,000 public workers have been unpaid, with about a quarter of the federal government closed for two weeks.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had told Trump during the meeting to end the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-approves-bill-to-avert-government-shutdown-excludes-mexico-border-wall-funding-185405">shutdown</a>. "He resisted," Schumer said. "In fact, he said he`d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years."

Trump confirmed that comment but painted a more positive picture of the meeting, the first since a new era of divided government began when Democrats took control of the House of Representatives on Thursday.&nbsp;

"We had a very, very productive meeting, and we`ve come a long way," Trump said.

According to a source familiar with the White House discussion, Trump opened the meeting with a speech that lasted at least 15 minutes in which he insisted on the need for $5.6 billion for a border wall.

The source also said Trump brought up recent impeachment threats during those remarks, arguing that he had notched a strong performance as president and should not be a target for impeachment.

National emergency?

Raising the stakes in his tussle with the newly emboldened Democrats, Trump threatened extraordinary measures to build the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the United States.

Asked by a reporter whether he had considered declaring a national emergency to build the wall, Trump said: "Yes, I have ... I may do it ... we can call a national emergency and build it very quickly."

He said he could declare a national emergency "because of the security of our country, absolutely."

Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the comments, saying in a statement, "Declaring a trumped-up national emergency in order to skirt congressional approval is wrong."&nbsp;

The US Constitution assigns Congress the power over funding the federal government so Trump likely would face legal challenges if he tried to bypass Congress on financing the wall. Building a wall - and having Mexico pay for it - was one of Trump`s main promises when he ran for president in 2016.

Trump's wall project is estimated to cost about $23 billion.

Democrats have called the wall immoral, ineffective and medieval.

Nancy Pelosi, the newly elected Democratic speaker of the House, said Friday's meeting with Trump was "sometimes contentious" but that they agreed to continue talking.

"But we recognise 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.&nbsp;

Credit rating agency Moody`s says the shutdown will cause minimal US economic and credit market disruption but there could be a more severe impact on financial markets and the broad economy if the closure is protracted.

A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last week showed that 50 per cent of the public blame Trump for the shutdown and 7 per cent blame Republican lawmakers, while 32 per cent blame Democrats.

In a December 11 meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut the government over the security issue and would not blame Democrats. He has since said they are responsible.&nbsp;

White House officials and congressional staffers will meet at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Saturday to try to end the impasse, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Trump had named Vice President Mike Pence, senior aide Jared Kushner and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to work over the weekend.

The partial shutdown is straining the country`s immigration system, worsening backlogs in courts and complicating hiring for employers.

Federal agencies such as the Justice Department, Commerce Department and departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior and Treasury have been hit by the shutdown.

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal, a Democrat, asked the Internal Revenue Service in a letter on Friday to explain the possible effects of the shutdown on the upcoming tax filing season for millions of Americans.

President Donald Trump and senior Democrats failed to strike a deal in talks on Friday to end a partial shutdown of the US government as they again fought over Trump`s request for over $5 billion to fund his signature wall on the Mexican border.

President Donald Trump and senior Democrats failed to strike a deal in talks on Friday to end a partial shutdown of the US government as they again fought over Trump`s request for over $5 billion to fund his signature wall on the Mexican border. After Democratic congressional leaders turned Trump down at a meeting in the White House Situation Room, the Republican president threatened to take the controversial step of using emergency powers to build the wall without approval from Congress. Trump is withholding his support for a bill that would fully fund the government until he secures the money for the wall. As a result around 800,000 public workers have been unpaid, with about a quarter of the federal government closed for two weeks. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had told Trump during the meeting to end the shutdown. "He resisted," Schumer said. "In fact, he said he`d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years." Trump confirmed that comment but painted a more positive picture of the meeting, the first since a new era of divided government began when Democrats took control of the House of Representatives on Thursday. "We had a very, very productive meeting, and we`ve come a long way," Trump said. According to a source familiar with the White House discussion, Trump opened the meeting with a speech that lasted at least 15 minutes in which he insisted on the need for $5.6 billion for a border wall. The source also said Trump brought up recent impeachment threats during those remarks, arguing that he had notched a strong performance as president and should not be a target for impeachment. National emergency? Raising the stakes in his tussle with the newly emboldened Democrats, Trump threatened extraordinary measures to build the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the United States. Asked by a reporter whether he had considered declaring a national emergency to build the wall, Trump said: "Yes, I have ... I may do it ... we can call a national emergency and build it very quickly." He said he could declare a national emergency "because of the security of our country, absolutely." Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the comments, saying in a statement, "Declaring a trumped-up national emergency in order to skirt congressional approval is wrong." The US Constitution assigns Congress the power over funding the federal government so Trump likely would face legal challenges if he tried to bypass Congress on financing the wall. Building a wall - and having Mexico pay for it - was one of Trump`s main promises when he ran for president in 2016. Trump's wall project is estimated to cost about $23 billion. Democrats have called the wall immoral, ineffective and medieval. Nancy Pelosi, the newly elected Democratic speaker of the House, said Friday's meeting with Trump was "sometimes contentious" but that they agreed to continue talking. "But we recognise 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. Credit rating agency Moody`s says the shutdown will cause minimal US economic and credit market disruption but there could be a more severe impact on financial markets and the broad economy if the closure is protracted. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last week showed that 50 per cent of the public blame Trump for the shutdown and 7 per cent blame Republican lawmakers, while 32 per cent blame Democrats. In a December 11 meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut the government over the security issue and would not blame Democrats. He has since said they are responsible. White House officials and congressional staffers will meet at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Saturday to try to end the impasse, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Trump had named Vice President Mike Pence, senior aide Jared Kushner and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to work over the weekend. The partial shutdown is straining the country`s immigration system, worsening backlogs in courts and complicating hiring for employers. Federal agencies such as the Justice Department, Commerce Department and departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior and Treasury have been hit by the shutdown. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal, a Democrat, asked the Internal Revenue Service in a letter on Friday to explain the possible effects of the shutdown on the upcoming tax filing season for millions of Americans.

US shutdown talks falter, Trump threatens emergency powers

The US House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a majority, approved legislation on Thursday to end a partial government shutdown that began nearly two weeks ago at several federal agencies and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8.

Under the bills, the departments of State, Commerce, Agriculture, Labour, Treasury and other agencies would be funded through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

Hours before the vote, the White House said advisers to President Donald Trump would recommend that he veto the measure if Congress passed it without any additional money for Trump's proposed wall along the US-Mexico border.

The US House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a majority, approved legislation on Thursday to end a partial government shutdown that began nearly two weeks ago at several federal agencies and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8.

The US House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a majority, approved legislation on Thursday to end a partial government shutdown that began nearly two weeks ago at several federal agencies and fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8. Under the bills, the departments of State, Commerce, Agriculture, Labour, Treasury and other agencies would be funded through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year. Hours before the vote, the White House said advisers to President Donald Trump would recommend that he veto the measure if Congress passed it without any additional money for Trump's proposed wall along the US-Mexico border.

Watch: US House passes bills that would end government shutdown, without wall funds

A partial shutdown of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-calls-democrats-plan-to-end-shutdown-non-starter-187935">US government </a>entered a 12th day Wednesday as President Donald Trump prepared to meet top Democratic and Republican lawmakers in a bid to break the impasse over his demand for funding for a border wall with Mexico.

One day before Democrats take over control of the House of Representatives, Trump showed no signs of backing away from his insistence on $5 billion for his "beautiful" southern wall.

"President Trump wants an agreement that reopens the government AND keeps Americans safe," the White House tweeted.

It said senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security would provide a "border security briefing" at the White House later in the day to top Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Earlier Wednesday, Trump was to meet with his cabinet.

It will be Trump's first meeting with Pelosi, who will take over as speaker of the House on Thursday, and Schumer, the Senate minority leader, since an acrimonious Oval Office meeting with the pair on December 11.

Amid the stalemate over the wall, Trump shelved his annual Christmas vacation in Florida, choosing to remain in Washington and fire off a stream of angry -- and often misleading -- tweets.

"Much of the Wall has already been renovated or built," he asserted on Wednesday along with the dubious claim that Mexico would pay for the wall through the new trade deal negotiated between the two countries.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Democrats of refusing to compromise.

"President Trump made a serious, good faith offer to Democrats to open the government, address the crisis at our border, and protect all Americans," Sanders said.

She described a plan put forward by Pelosi as a "non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime."

Romney criticizes Trump 

Democrats say the border wall, one of Trump's key campaign promises, is a distraction from more complicated immigration problems and a tool for Trump to whip up support among his conservative base.

The standoff resulted in swaths of the federal government being shut down over the Christmas and New Year holidays -- and for the foreseeable future until a deal is reached.

Pelosi is proposing a budget that would fund most government agencies through September 30 with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border security and would only receive funding through February 8.

Republicans lost 40 seats and their majority in the House in the November midterm elections but they retained control of the Senate.

Sixty votes, however, are needed to advance legislation in the Senate, requiring Democratic support.

Republican Representative Steve Scalise called on Democrats on Wednesday to come to an agreement and accused them of "playing games with the safety of our country."

"The time for political games is over," Scalise said in an opinion piece for Fox News. "Lives are at stake."&nbsp;

Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has said he will only schedule a vote on a deal that has the support of both the House and Trump.

Adding to the uncertainty in Washington, an incoming senator, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, lashed out at Trump on Tuesday in an opinion piece in The Washington Post.

"Trump's words and actions have caused dismay around the world," wrote Romney, who was elected to the Senate in November from his home state of Utah.

"I do not intend to comment on every tweet or fault," Romney said. "But I will speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions." 
&nbsp;

A partial shutdown of the US government entered a 12th day Wednesday as President Donald Trump prepared to meet top Democratic and Republican lawmakers in a bid to break the impasse over his demand for funding for a border wall with Mexico.

A partial shutdown of the US government entered a 12th day Wednesday as President Donald Trump prepared to meet top Democratic and Republican lawmakers in a bid to break the impasse over his demand for funding for a border wall with Mexico. One day before Democrats take over control of the House of Representatives, Trump showed no signs of backing away from his insistence on $5 billion for his "beautiful" southern wall. "President Trump wants an agreement that reopens the government AND keeps Americans safe," the White House tweeted. It said senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security would provide a "border security briefing" at the White House later in the day to top Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Earlier Wednesday, Trump was to meet with his cabinet. It will be Trump's first meeting with Pelosi, who will take over as speaker of the House on Thursday, and Schumer, the Senate minority leader, since an acrimonious Oval Office meeting with the pair on December 11. Amid the stalemate over the wall, Trump shelved his annual Christmas vacation in Florida, choosing to remain in Washington and fire off a stream of angry -- and often misleading -- tweets. "Much of the Wall has already been renovated or built," he asserted on Wednesday along with the dubious claim that Mexico would pay for the wall through the new trade deal negotiated between the two countries. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Democrats of refusing to compromise. "President Trump made a serious, good faith offer to Democrats to open the government, address the crisis at our border, and protect all Americans," Sanders said. She described a plan put forward by Pelosi as a "non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime." Romney criticizes Trump Democrats say the border wall, one of Trump's key campaign promises, is a distraction from more complicated immigration problems and a tool for Trump to whip up support among his conservative base. The standoff resulted in swaths of the federal government being shut down over the Christmas and New Year holidays -- and for the foreseeable future until a deal is reached. Pelosi is proposing a budget that would fund most government agencies through September 30 with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border security and would only receive funding through February 8. Republicans lost 40 seats and their majority in the House in the November midterm elections but they retained control of the Senate. Sixty votes, however, are needed to advance legislation in the Senate, requiring Democratic support. Republican Representative Steve Scalise called on Democrats on Wednesday to come to an agreement and accused them of "playing games with the safety of our country." "The time for political games is over," Scalise said in an opinion piece for Fox News. "Lives are at stake." Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has said he will only schedule a vote on a deal that has the support of both the House and Trump. Adding to the uncertainty in Washington, an incoming senator, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, lashed out at Trump on Tuesday in an opinion piece in The Washington Post. "Trump's words and actions have caused dismay around the world," wrote Romney, who was elected to the Senate in November from his home state of Utah. "I do not intend to comment on every tweet or fault," Romney said. "But I will speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions."

Trump ready to meet lawmakers in a bid to end shutdown 

US Congress was set to reconvene on Wednesday with no sign of a workable plan to end a 12-day-old partial federal government shutdown and President Donald Trump not budging on his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding.

The Senate and House of Representatives will meet briefly to mark the last day of the Republican-controlled 2017-2018 Congress.

When Democrats, led by presumptive House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, take over the House on Thursday, they plan to approve a two-part spending package meant to end the shutdown. But its prospects are grim in the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority.

The White House dismissed the legislation late on Tuesday.

"The Pelosi plan is a non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Trump, a Republican, has invited the top Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress to the White House on Wednesday for what congressional sources described as a border security briefing.

Sanders said Trump remains committed to "an agreement that both reopens the government and keeps Americans safe.”

The spending legislation sets the stage for the first major battle of the new Congress between House Democrats led by Pelosi and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump triggered the shutdown, which started on Dec. 22, by insisting that $5 billion for funding of the border wall be part of any spending measure. He calls the wall crucial to curbing illegal immigration, echoing his 2016 presidential campaign rhetoric.

The Democrats' two-part package includes a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 and provide $1.3 billion for border fencing and $300 million for other border security items including technology and cameras.

The second part of the package would fund federal agencies that are now unfunded, such as the Justice, Commerce and Transportation departments, through Sept. 30.

The House Democrats' measure does not contain the $5 billion Trump wants. McConnell has said Senate Republicans will not approve a spending measure not supported by Trump.

"It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign," said McConnell spokesman Don Stewart.

The Democratic package could put Trump and his Republican allies in a tough position. If they reject funding bills for departments unconnected to border security, Republicans could be seen as holding those agencies and their roughly 800,000 affected workers hostage to Trump's desire to build a wall that Democrats say would be ineffective and impractical.

US Congress was set to reconvene on Wednesday with no sign of a workable plan to end a 12-day-old partial federal government shutdown and President Donald Trump not budging on his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding.

US Congress was set to reconvene on Wednesday with no sign of a workable plan to end a 12-day-old partial federal government shutdown and President Donald Trump not budging on his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding. The Senate and House of Representatives will meet briefly to mark the last day of the Republican-controlled 2017-2018 Congress. When Democrats, led by presumptive House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, take over the House on Thursday, they plan to approve a two-part spending package meant to end the shutdown. But its prospects are grim in the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority. The White House dismissed the legislation late on Tuesday. "The Pelosi plan is a non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Trump, a Republican, has invited the top Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress to the White House on Wednesday for what congressional sources described as a border security briefing. Sanders said Trump remains committed to "an agreement that both reopens the government and keeps Americans safe.” The spending legislation sets the stage for the first major battle of the new Congress between House Democrats led by Pelosi and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump triggered the shutdown, which started on Dec. 22, by insisting that $5 billion for funding of the border wall be part of any spending measure. He calls the wall crucial to curbing illegal immigration, echoing his 2016 presidential campaign rhetoric. The Democrats' two-part package includes a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 and provide $1.3 billion for border fencing and $300 million for other border security items including technology and cameras. The second part of the package would fund federal agencies that are now unfunded, such as the Justice, Commerce and Transportation departments, through Sept. 30. The House Democrats' measure does not contain the $5 billion Trump wants. McConnell has said Senate Republicans will not approve a spending measure not supported by Trump. "It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign," said McConnell spokesman Don Stewart. The Democratic package could put Trump and his Republican allies in a tough position. If they reject funding bills for departments unconnected to border security, Republicans could be seen as holding those agencies and their roughly 800,000 affected workers hostage to Trump's desire to build a wall that Democrats say would be ineffective and impractical.

White House calls Democrats' plan to end shutdown 'non-starter'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-blames-democrats-for-deaths-of-children-at-the-border-187260">President Donald Trump on Sunday</a> compared the wall he wants to build along the US-Mexico border with the protection at the Washington DC home of his predecessor, Barack Obama.

"President and Mrs Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their DC mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The US needs the same thing, slightly larger version!" said Trump on Twitter on Sunday afternoon.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
President and Mrs. Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their D.C. mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1079497288605683712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump made the comparison amid the controversy generated by his adamant demand for lawmakers to allocate $5 billion in the federal budget to build portions of the wall, a stance that led to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prolonged-us-shutdown-threatens-to-unsettle-economy-187290">a partial - and ongoing - shutdown of the government</a> after consensus could not be reached on the matter by Republican and Democratic legislators.

Specifically, the partial shutdown affects some 25 per cent of the government, 10 government departments, including Transportation and Justice, as well as dozens of national parks, which normally are huge tourist attractions over any and all holidays.

Some 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal works have been idled and will not receive paychecks while their portions of the government remain closed due to lack of approved funding.

After the Obamas left the White House in January 2017, they leased a nine-bedroom, eight-bath home in the Kalorama neighbourhood, one of the capital's most select districts.

Built in the 1920s and renovated in 2011, the home has some 763 square meters (8,200 square feet) of floor space, rents for $22,000 per month and is valued at between $5.4 million and $6 million, according to the specialized real estate company Zillow.

President Donald Trump on Sunday compared the wall he wants to build along the US-Mexico border with the protection at the Washington DC home of his predecessor, Barack Obama.

President Donald Trump on Sunday compared the wall he wants to build along the US-Mexico border with the protection at the Washington DC home of his predecessor, Barack Obama. "President and Mrs Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their DC mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The US needs the same thing, slightly larger version!" said Trump on Twitter on Sunday afternoon. President and Mrs. Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their D.C. mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2018 × Trump made the comparison amid the controversy generated by his adamant demand for lawmakers to allocate $5 billion in the federal budget to build portions of the wall, a stance that led to a partial - and ongoing - shutdown of the government after consensus could not be reached on the matter by Republican and Democratic legislators. Specifically, the partial shutdown affects some 25 per cent of the government, 10 government departments, including Transportation and Justice, as well as dozens of national parks, which normally are huge tourist attractions over any and all holidays. Some 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal works have been idled and will not receive paychecks while their portions of the government remain closed due to lack of approved funding. After the Obamas left the White House in January 2017, they leased a nine-bedroom, eight-bath home in the Kalorama neighbourhood, one of the capital's most select districts. Built in the 1920s and renovated in 2011, the home has some 763 square meters (8,200 square feet) of floor space, rents for $22,000 per month and is valued at between $5.4 million and $6 million, according to the specialized real estate company Zillow.

Trump compares US border wall with protection at Obamas' home

The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty.

More than a week into the game of chicken between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, the publication and recording of statistical indicators are being delayed.

With the lack of an agreement on Trump's much-promised wall on the border with Mexico, thousands of government workers are forced to stay home or work without pay due to budget shortages that are also hampering the publication of certain government indicators.

"There will be no lockups for Census or BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) and no posting of lockup data from either of those organisations because of the government shutdown affecting those agencies," said Labour Department spokeswoman Suzanne Bohnert, whose agency oversees the release of those indicators under embargo.

The release of data on new home sales is so far the only indicator to have been delayed.

But if the shutdown is still in effect after January 1, it could impact the release of figures on construction expenses, such as industrial orders, and on trade -- due January 8 -- which is critical for markets just as the Trump administration is involved in a full-fledged trade war with some US allies.

The closely watched employment figures for November, usually published the first Friday of the month, are set to be released on January 4 on schedule because the Labour Department still has funds to keep running its operations.

In addition to the publication of data, the very process of collecting this information is also beginning to be compromised.

"Odds are that it'll continue into January," Grant Thornton chief economist Diane Swonk said in a tweet.

"The impasse is already cutting into the supply of something that is essential to just about every market out there: federal economic data. That could have an impact on markets going forward and also what the Federal Reserve decides to do with interest rates in 2019."&nbsp;

With financial markets already extremely volatile and amid worries over tariffs with China and the Fed's monetary policy, the shutdown could add yet another layer of uncertainty.

The partial paralysis of administrative services will likely only have a mildly negative impact on economic growth, even though it's more tangible in the US capital, where affected government workers won't get paid.

"Thousands of federal workers would either be furloughed or work without pay for the duration of the shutdown," Oxford Economics said.&nbsp;

"While the economic impact of two-week partial shutdown would be minimal -- less than 0.1 per cent of GDP growth -- it would add political uncertainty at an inopportune time.

"Among other things, a shutdown would affect the release of economic indicators and disrupt the start of the 2019 tax filing season."

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Trump to find a solution to end the stalemate, noting the capital's 170,000 federal workers "pay the highest price." These furloughs also have unexpected consequences for the private sector.

On Friday, the National Association of Realtors expressed concern about the shutdown's impact on home sales.

"Very disappointingly, flood insurance has not been available during the government shutdown... Which means that roughly 40,000 homes may not get transacted because it requires flood insurance in order to get a mortgage," NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said.

"Any time there is a government shutdown, consumer confidence may be dampened, so even if they have the cash, they may not spend the money, and that will hold back economic growth, so it's bad news all around."&nbsp;

The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty.

The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty. More than a week into the game of chicken between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, the publication and recording of statistical indicators are being delayed. With the lack of an agreement on Trump's much-promised wall on the border with Mexico, thousands of government workers are forced to stay home or work without pay due to budget shortages that are also hampering the publication of certain government indicators. "There will be no lockups for Census or BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) and no posting of lockup data from either of those organisations because of the government shutdown affecting those agencies," said Labour Department spokeswoman Suzanne Bohnert, whose agency oversees the release of those indicators under embargo. The release of data on new home sales is so far the only indicator to have been delayed. But if the shutdown is still in effect after January 1, it could impact the release of figures on construction expenses, such as industrial orders, and on trade -- due January 8 -- which is critical for markets just as the Trump administration is involved in a full-fledged trade war with some US allies. The closely watched employment figures for November, usually published the first Friday of the month, are set to be released on January 4 on schedule because the Labour Department still has funds to keep running its operations. In addition to the publication of data, the very process of collecting this information is also beginning to be compromised. "Odds are that it'll continue into January," Grant Thornton chief economist Diane Swonk said in a tweet. "The impasse is already cutting into the supply of something that is essential to just about every market out there: federal economic data. That could have an impact on markets going forward and also what the Federal Reserve decides to do with interest rates in 2019." With financial markets already extremely volatile and amid worries over tariffs with China and the Fed's monetary policy, the shutdown could add yet another layer of uncertainty. The partial paralysis of administrative services will likely only have a mildly negative impact on economic growth, even though it's more tangible in the US capital, where affected government workers won't get paid. "Thousands of federal workers would either be furloughed or work without pay for the duration of the shutdown," Oxford Economics said. "While the economic impact of two-week partial shutdown would be minimal -- less than 0.1 per cent of GDP growth -- it would add political uncertainty at an inopportune time. "Among other things, a shutdown would affect the release of economic indicators and disrupt the start of the 2019 tax filing season." Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Trump to find a solution to end the stalemate, noting the capital's 170,000 federal workers "pay the highest price." These furloughs also have unexpected consequences for the private sector. On Friday, the National Association of Realtors expressed concern about the shutdown's impact on home sales. "Very disappointingly, flood insurance has not been available during the government shutdown... Which means that roughly 40,000 homes may not get transacted because it requires flood insurance in order to get a mortgage," NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said. "Any time there is a government shutdown, consumer confidence may be dampened, so even if they have the cash, they may not spend the money, and that will hold back economic growth, so it's bad news all around."

Prolonged US shutdown threatens to unsettle economy

Both chambers of the US&nbsp;Congress convened for only a few minutes late on Thursday, but took no steps to end a partial federal government shutdown before adjourning until next week.

Showing little sense of urgency over the shutdown, now in its sixth day, the Senate and the House of Representatives did nothing to restore funding for the roughly 20 percent of the government affected.

The shutdown was on track to continue into next week and possibly drag on well into January.

The shutdown was triggered by Republican President Donald Trump's demand, largely opposed by Democrats and some lawmakers within his own party, that US&nbsp;taxpayers provide $5 billion for a wall he wants to build along the US-Mexico border.

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.

Both chambers of the US Congress convened for only a few minutes late on Thursday, but took no steps to end a partial federal government shutdown before adjourning until next week.

Both chambers of the US Congress convened for only a few minutes late on Thursday, but took no steps to end a partial federal government shutdown before adjourning until next week. Showing little sense of urgency over the shutdown, now in its sixth day, the Senate and the House of Representatives did nothing to restore funding for the roughly 20 percent of the government affected. The shutdown was on track to continue into next week and possibly drag on well into January. The shutdown was triggered by Republican President Donald Trump's demand, largely opposed by Democrats and some lawmakers within his own party, that US taxpayers provide $5 billion for a wall he wants to build along the US-Mexico border. 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 Congress meets briefly, takes no action on shutdown

US President Donald Trump stood firm <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-approves-bill-to-avert-government-shutdown-excludes-mexico-border-wall-funding-185405">on Thursday after refusing to sign</a> a stopgap spending bill because it does not contain border wall funding, leaving lawmakers scrambling to avoid a government shutdown before Christmas.

Trump's rejection of a measure that unanimously passed the Senate and was under consideration in the House plunged Washington into political chaos 36 hours before a midnight Friday deadline that sees funding expire for key agencies.

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With so much talk about the Wall, people are losing sight of the great job being done on our Southern Border by Border Patrol, ICE and our great Military. Remember the Caravans? Well, they didn’t get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1075732375169060869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He appeared to harden his demand for $5 billion in funding for the wall on the US-Mexico border, something he has fought for since he began campaigning for president in 2015.

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The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country. What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1075729672628068353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Republican leaders had planned to pass a temporary funding extension, known as a continuing resolution, until February 8, to allow time for debate about issues including border security.

But with ultra-conservative lawmakers and media personalities effectively demanding that the president stick to his campaign promise to fight for a border wall, Trump doubled down.

"I've made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government has to include border security," he said at a White House event.

"Walls work, whether we like it or not," he added. "They work better than anything."

So far Democrats have refused to budge, saying they will not support a spending measure that funds Trump's wall.

"In terms of wall funding, that's a non-starter," said top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi. "I think they know that."

Fears of a shutdown - which could send thousands of federal employees home without pay just before Christmas - helped send US stocks tumbling, with the Dow closing down 2.0 per cent.

Trump had backed off his shutdown threat earlier this week, but it roared back to life as he accused Democrats of "putting politics over country" by not supporting a wall, which he insists will curb illegal immigration.

"What they are just beginning to realize," Trump tweeted about opposition Democrats, "is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security."

Trump's move may have been influenced by members of the House Freedom caucus, some of whom have publicly called on the Republican president to stick to his guns on wall funding.

"Mr. President, we'll back you up," caucus chairman Mark Meadows said on the House floor late on Wednesday. "If you veto this bill, we'll be there."

Meadows, along with outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans, met with Trump at the White House Thursday to discuss the path forward.

Ryan urged Congress to include border security measures in the funding bill but did not use the word "wall."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders was more affirmative.

"We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall," she said.

Pelosi, Ryan's likely successor as speaker when Democrats reclaim the majority on January 3, meanwhile accused Republicans of having a "meltdown" over whether to pass the stopgap measure or force a shutdown.

And while House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy expressed optimism that "there's still time" for Congress to cobble together a fix before breaking for the holidays, any new bill would face huge hurdles in the Senate.

Advancing a measure in the 100-member upper chamber takes 60 votes. Republicans control 51, and getting nine Democrats to support $5 billion in wall funding is a virtual non-starter.

The news of Trump's rejection caught many lawmakers flat-footed.

"Are you ruining my life?" Republican Senator Susan Collins joked to The Hill when informed of Trump's decision, adding that she does not believe there are sufficient votes to pass a modified continuing resolution to get through Congress.

Democrats sounded flabbergasted that Republicans -- who currently control the White House, the House and the Senate -- might allow key funding to lapse.

"If the government shuts down, make no mistake -- this will be the Trump shutdown," congressman Dan Kildee said. "This is no way to run the corner grocery store, let alone the government of the United States."

The US government endured two brief shutdowns in early 2018. A far more crippling shutdown lasted for 16 days in 2013, when about 800,000 federal workers were furloughed amid a fight over funding Barack Obama's health care reforms.

US President Donald Trump stood firm on Thursday after refusing to sign a stopgap spending bill because it does not contain border wall funding, leaving lawmakers scrambling to avoid a government shutdown before Christmas.

US President Donald Trump stood firm on Thursday after refusing to sign a stopgap spending bill because it does not contain border wall funding, leaving lawmakers scrambling to avoid a government shutdown before Christmas. Trump's rejection of a measure that unanimously passed the Senate and was under consideration in the House plunged Washington into political chaos 36 hours before a midnight Friday deadline that sees funding expire for key agencies. With so much talk about the Wall, people are losing sight of the great job being done on our Southern Border by Border Patrol, ICE and our great Military. Remember the Caravans? Well, they didn’t get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 × He appeared to harden his demand for $5 billion in funding for the wall on the US-Mexico border, something he has fought for since he began campaigning for president in 2015. The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country. What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 × Republican leaders had planned to pass a temporary funding extension, known as a continuing resolution, until February 8, to allow time for debate about issues including border security. But with ultra-conservative lawmakers and media personalities effectively demanding that the president stick to his campaign promise to fight for a border wall, Trump doubled down. "I've made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government has to include border security," he said at a White House event. "Walls work, whether we like it or not," he added. "They work better than anything." So far Democrats have refused to budge, saying they will not support a spending measure that funds Trump's wall. "In terms of wall funding, that's a non-starter," said top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi. "I think they know that." Fears of a shutdown - which could send thousands of federal employees home without pay just before Christmas - helped send US stocks tumbling, with the Dow closing down 2.0 per cent. Trump had backed off his shutdown threat earlier this week, but it roared back to life as he accused Democrats of "putting politics over country" by not supporting a wall, which he insists will curb illegal immigration. "What they are just beginning to realize," Trump tweeted about opposition Democrats, "is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security." Trump's move may have been influenced by members of the House Freedom caucus, some of whom have publicly called on the Republican president to stick to his guns on wall funding. "Mr. President, we'll back you up," caucus chairman Mark Meadows said on the House floor late on Wednesday. "If you veto this bill, we'll be there." Meadows, along with outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans, met with Trump at the White House Thursday to discuss the path forward. Ryan urged Congress to include border security measures in the funding bill but did not use the word "wall." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders was more affirmative. "We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall," she said. Pelosi, Ryan's likely successor as speaker when Democrats reclaim the majority on January 3, meanwhile accused Republicans of having a "meltdown" over whether to pass the stopgap measure or force a shutdown. And while House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy expressed optimism that "there's still time" for Congress to cobble together a fix before breaking for the holidays, any new bill would face huge hurdles in the Senate. Advancing a measure in the 100-member upper chamber takes 60 votes. Republicans control 51, and getting nine Democrats to support $5 billion in wall funding is a virtual non-starter. The news of Trump's rejection caught many lawmakers flat-footed. "Are you ruining my life?" Republican Senator Susan Collins joked to The Hill when informed of Trump's decision, adding that she does not believe there are sufficient votes to pass a modified continuing resolution to get through Congress. Democrats sounded flabbergasted that Republicans -- who currently control the White House, the House and the Senate -- might allow key funding to lapse. "If the government shuts down, make no mistake -- this will be the Trump shutdown," congressman Dan Kildee said. "This is no way to run the corner grocery store, let alone the government of the United States." The US government endured two brief shutdowns in early 2018. A far more crippling shutdown lasted for 16 days in 2013, when about 800,000 federal workers were furloughed amid a fight over funding Barack Obama's health care reforms.

Trump refuses to sign US government shutdown legislation over Mexico wall funding

The US Senate on Wednesday night <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/standoff-over-trump-wall-leaves-us-govt-5-days-away-from-shutdown-184833">approved an emergency short-term </a>spending bill that averts a looming government shutdown, but excludes funds that President Donald Trump sought for a US-Mexico border wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-get-his-wall-trump-threatens-shutdown-of-us-government-155540">McConnell said the measure will fund</a> normal government operations at current levels through February 8 - bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over next week's coming Christmas holiday.

The bill will need to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump before midnight Friday, when funding is set to expire for key agencies like the Department of Homeland Security.

Republican and Democratic leaders earlier on Wednesday gave strong signals that the stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, would pass Congress and head to the president's desk.

"It's good that our Republican colleagues in the Senate finally realised that they should not shut down the government over a wall that does not have enough support to pass the House or Senate and is not supported by a majority of the country," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said upon the bill clearing the Senate.

White House aides told US media President Trump is inclined to sign the measure.

But it is seen as a defeat for the president, who had argued strenuously for $5 billion in new funding for a wall that he insists would check illegal immigration.

The US Senate on Wednesday night approved an emergency short-term spending bill that averts a looming government shutdown, but excludes funds that President Donald Trump sought for a US-Mexico border wall.

The US Senate on Wednesday night approved an emergency short-term spending bill that averts a looming government shutdown, but excludes funds that President Donald Trump sought for a US-Mexico border wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the measure will fund normal government operations at current levels through February 8 - bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over next week's coming Christmas holiday. The bill will need to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump before midnight Friday, when funding is set to expire for key agencies like the Department of Homeland Security. Republican and Democratic leaders earlier on Wednesday gave strong signals that the stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, would pass Congress and head to the president's desk. "It's good that our Republican colleagues in the Senate finally realised that they should not shut down the government over a wall that does not have enough support to pass the House or Senate and is not supported by a majority of the country," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said upon the bill clearing the Senate. White House aides told US media President Trump is inclined to sign the measure. But it is seen as a defeat for the president, who had argued strenuously for $5 billion in new funding for a wall that he insists would check illegal immigration.

US Senate approves bill to avert government shutdown; excludes Mexico border wall funding

A combative Donald Trump threatened Friday to veto a spending deal clinched in a dead-of-night compromise in Congress, in a dramatic U-turn by the president that raises the fresh specter of a government shutdown.

The president brandished the threat in a tweet after the Senate passed the $1.3 trillion spending bill, 65-32, under the pressure of a midnight Friday deadline to fund the government, or shut it down.

It caps yet another week of high drama at the White House where the mercurial former reality TV star replaced his national security advisor, launched a new trade fight with China, and needled investigators probing Russia election meddling.

Trump&#39;s White House had given its blessing to the compromise spending deal with Democrats, but by Friday morning, with the clock still ticking, the president had second thoughts.

Lashing out on Twitter, he complained that the bill failed to fully fund his border wall with Mexico, or settle the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

&quot;I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp;

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I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/977166887493799936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The bill provided $1.6 billion for border security and construction or repair of nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing, but that was far less than Trump had been seeking.

It also set aside the issue of the so-called &quot;Dreamers,&quot; who are in legal limbo following the Trump administration&#39;s repeal of Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy instituted by former president Barack Obama that protected them from deportation.

DACA expired on March 5, but the issue is being fought in the courts. Attempts at a legislative fix collapsed in a previous round of negotiations to avert a government shutdown.

In a Congress riven by partisan feuding, passage early Friday of the massive bill to fund the US government through September was considered a rare achievement.

The centerpiece was a big increase in US defense spending to $700 billion dollars, up $61 billion, and a 10 percent hike in domestic spending, which would rise to $591 billion.

But it came with last minute fights in a tumultuous late night session, after one of Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans, Senator Rand Paul, refused to allow a quick vote, only to relent.

Five times since October, lawmakers have had to pass stopgap funding legislation to keep the government&#39;s lights on. Twice this year the government was allowed to slip into shutdown.&nbsp;

A third lapse would be deeply embarrassing for a Republican-controlled Congress facing midterm elections in November.

Trump complained on Twitter that the bill failed to fully fund his border wall with Mexico, or settle the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country illegally as children

A combative Donald Trump threatened Friday to veto a spending deal clinched in a dead-of-night compromise in Congress, in a dramatic U-turn by the president that raises the fresh specter of a government shutdown. The president brandished the threat in a tweet after the Senate passed the $1.3 trillion spending bill, 65-32, under the pressure of a midnight Friday deadline to fund the government, or shut it down. It caps yet another week of high drama at the White House where the mercurial former reality TV star replaced his national security advisor, launched a new trade fight with China, and needled investigators probing Russia election meddling. Trump's White House had given its blessing to the compromise spending deal with Democrats, but by Friday morning, with the clock still ticking, the president had second thoughts. Lashing out on Twitter, he complained that the bill failed to fully fund his border wall with Mexico, or settle the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. "I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded," he said. I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2018 × The bill provided $1.6 billion for border security and construction or repair of nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing, but that was far less than Trump had been seeking. It also set aside the issue of the so-called "Dreamers," who are in legal limbo following the Trump administration's repeal of Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy instituted by former president Barack Obama that protected them from deportation. DACA expired on March 5, but the issue is being fought in the courts. Attempts at a legislative fix collapsed in a previous round of negotiations to avert a government shutdown. In a Congress riven by partisan feuding, passage early Friday of the massive bill to fund the US government through September was considered a rare achievement. The centerpiece was a big increase in US defense spending to $700 billion dollars, up $61 billion, and a 10 percent hike in domestic spending, which would rise to $591 billion. But it came with last minute fights in a tumultuous late night session, after one of Trump's fellow Republicans, Senator Rand Paul, refused to allow a quick vote, only to relent. Five times since October, lawmakers have had to pass stopgap funding legislation to keep the government's lights on. Twice this year the government was allowed to slip into shutdown. A third lapse would be deeply embarrassing for a Republican-controlled Congress facing midterm elections in November.

Trump threatens spending bill veto, raising shutdown risk

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?

Congress put the US government back in business Monday by voting to end a three-day shutdown, as President Donald Trump claimed victory in his standoff with Democrats in Washington.

The House voted 266 to 150 to extend federal funding, hours after Senate Democrats dropped their opposition to the plan after winning Republican assurances of a vote on immigration in the coming weeks.

Trump signed the measure into law Monday night, and government operations would essentially return to normal on Tuesday.

&quot;I know there&#39;s great relief that this episode is coming to an end,&quot; House Speaker Paul Ryan told colleagues. &quot;But this is not a moment to pat ourselves on the back. Not even close.&quot;

The stalemate consumed Washington for the better part of a week, as lawmakers and the White House feuded over immigration policy and the nation&#39;s two main political parties exchanged bitter barbs before finally reaching a deal.

&quot;I am pleased Democrats in Congress have come to their senses,&quot; Trump said in a defiant statement, as lawmakers moved to get hundreds of thousands of federal government employees back to work.

Also read: <a href="http://Government shutdown fizzles on spending, immigration deal in US Congress" target="_blank">Government shutdown fizzles on spending, immigration deal in US Congress</a>

Democrats decided to end the three-day shutdown after making progress with ruling Republicans toward securing the fate of hundreds of thousands of so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; brought to America as children, many of them illegally.

With Democratic support, a bill keeping the government funded until February 8 easily passed the Senate, where different versions of the funding had languished for days.

Word of the compromise deal struck in Washington sent US stocks surging to new highs.

But the White House appeared in no mood for bipartisanship or magnanimity after a shutdown that overshadowed Trump&#39;s first anniversary in office.

Trump moved to undercut Democrats, saying he would only accept a comprehensive immigration reform -- one that notably addresses his demands for a border wall with Mexico as well as the fate of the &quot;Dreamers.&quot;

&quot;We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country,&quot; he said.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer earlier announced his party would vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, but in a sign of the poisoned politics of Washington he pilloried Trump in the process.

&quot;The White House refused to engage in negotiations over the weekend. The great deal-making president sat on the sidelines,&quot; Schumer said.

Trump spent the weekend stewing at the White House when he had planned to be among friends and family at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida for his anniversary bash.

And with the fundamental row on immigration and funding of Trump&#39;s border wall unresolved, Republicans and Democrats may very well find themselves back in a similar stalemate come February 9.

- High-profile holdouts - 
Schumer told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he expected Republicans to make good on a pledge to address Democrats&#39; concerns over the Deferred Action on Child Arrivals (DACA) program that shields immigrants brought to the country as children from deportation, but expires on March 5.

There are an estimated 700,000 &quot;Dreamers&quot; whose fates are up in the air.&nbsp;

&quot;If he does not, of course, and I expect he will, he will have breached the trust of not only the Democratic senators but members of his own party as well,&quot; Schumer said.

Trump has staked his political fortunes on taking a hard line on immigrants, painting them as criminals and scroungers.

Senator Tim Kaine summed up the view of the more optimistic Democrats: &quot;We got a commitment that I feel very, very good about.&quot;&nbsp;

But if no progress is made on an immigration bill, Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution warned, &quot;Democrats still have the ability to potentially force another shutdown over the issue.&quot;

The House is under no obligation to pass any Senate bill generated as a result of McConnell&#39;s pledge to cooperate with Democrats -- although Speaker Ryan did say his chamber needs to &quot;move forward in good faith&quot; on DACA and immigration.

Notably, many of the Senate Democrats who voted against the funding agreement included a litany of potential 2020 presidential candidates, including Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren.

- Dealmaker on sidelines - 
Ahead of the deal, Trump had goaded Democrats from the sidelines, accusing them of shutting down the government to win concessions on immigration, in service of &quot;their far left base.&quot;

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. During the last one, in October 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

Essential federal services and the military were operational on Monday.

The House voted 266 to 150 to extend federal funding, hours after Senate Democrats dropped their opposition to the plan after winning Republican assurances of a vote on immigration in the coming weeks

Congress put the US government back in business Monday by voting to end a three-day shutdown, as President Donald Trump claimed victory in his standoff with Democrats in Washington. The House voted 266 to 150 to extend federal funding, hours after Senate Democrats dropped their opposition to the plan after winning Republican assurances of a vote on immigration in the coming weeks. Trump signed the measure into law Monday night, and government operations would essentially return to normal on Tuesday. "I know there's great relief that this episode is coming to an end," House Speaker Paul Ryan told colleagues. "But this is not a moment to pat ourselves on the back. Not even close." The stalemate consumed Washington for the better part of a week, as lawmakers and the White House feuded over immigration policy and the nation's two main political parties exchanged bitter barbs before finally reaching a deal. "I am pleased Democrats in Congress have come to their senses," Trump said in a defiant statement, as lawmakers moved to get hundreds of thousands of federal government employees back to work. Also read: Government shutdown fizzles on spending, immigration deal in US Congress Democrats decided to end the three-day shutdown after making progress with ruling Republicans toward securing the fate of hundreds of thousands of so-called "Dreamers" brought to America as children, many of them illegally. With Democratic support, a bill keeping the government funded until February 8 easily passed the Senate, where different versions of the funding had languished for days. Word of the compromise deal struck in Washington sent US stocks surging to new highs. But the White House appeared in no mood for bipartisanship or magnanimity after a shutdown that overshadowed Trump's first anniversary in office. Trump moved to undercut Democrats, saying he would only accept a comprehensive immigration reform -- one that notably addresses his demands for a border wall with Mexico as well as the fate of the "Dreamers." "We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country," he said. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer earlier announced his party would vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, but in a sign of the poisoned politics of Washington he pilloried Trump in the process. "The White House refused to engage in negotiations over the weekend. The great deal-making president sat on the sidelines," Schumer said. Trump spent the weekend stewing at the White House when he had planned to be among friends and family at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida for his anniversary bash. And with the fundamental row on immigration and funding of Trump's border wall unresolved, Republicans and Democrats may very well find themselves back in a similar stalemate come February 9. - High-profile holdouts - Schumer told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he expected Republicans to make good on a pledge to address Democrats' concerns over the Deferred Action on Child Arrivals (DACA) program that shields immigrants brought to the country as children from deportation, but expires on March 5. There are an estimated 700,000 "Dreamers" whose fates are up in the air. "If he does not, of course, and I expect he will, he will have breached the trust of not only the Democratic senators but members of his own party as well," Schumer said. Trump has staked his political fortunes on taking a hard line on immigrants, painting them as criminals and scroungers. Senator Tim Kaine summed up the view of the more optimistic Democrats: "We got a commitment that I feel very, very good about." But if no progress is made on an immigration bill, Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution warned, "Democrats still have the ability to potentially force another shutdown over the issue." The House is under no obligation to pass any Senate bill generated as a result of McConnell's pledge to cooperate with Democrats -- although Speaker Ryan did say his chamber needs to "move forward in good faith" on DACA and immigration. Notably, many of the Senate Democrats who voted against the funding agreement included a litany of potential 2020 presidential candidates, including Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren. - Dealmaker on sidelines - Ahead of the deal, Trump had goaded Democrats from the sidelines, accusing them of shutting down the government to win concessions on immigration, in service of "their far left base." There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. During the last one, in October 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave. Essential federal services and the military were operational on Monday.

Congress votes to end US shutdown, Trump claims victory

US President Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of his inauguration on Saturday with his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shuts-down-as-donald-trump-feuds-with-democrats-30183">government in shutdown</a>, lashing out at Democrats over the collapse of budget negotiations as Congress convened an emergency session to thrash out a deal.

Essential federal services and military activity will continue, but hundreds of thousands of public sector workers will be sent home without wages and even serving soldiers will not be paid until a deal is reached to reopen the US government.

Highlighting the deep political polarisation, people took to the streets of major US cities en masse to march against the president and his policies.

&quot;This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present,&quot; Trump, who is in Washington instead of celebrating the anniversary at his Mar-a-Lago resort, wrote on Twitter in reference to the shutdown.

&quot;Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border,&quot; he tweeted, later accusing the opposition party of &quot;holding our Military hostage.&quot;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-happens-in-a-us-government-shutdown-30134">impact of the shutdown</a> will be felt more strongly if it lasts into the coming work week.

Signs that the government was not open for business were already appearing on Saturday.

&quot;The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island are closed due to a lapse in appropriations,&quot; a notice on the National Park Service&#39;s website said, while a sign at US military cemetery in France where 4,409 Americans are buried read: &quot;Due to the US Government shut down, this site is closed to the public.&quot;

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis wrote in a memo that &quot;daily operations around the world&quot; will continue, but &quot;training for reservists must be curtailed&quot; and that &quot;active forces will stay at their posts adapting their training to achieve the least negative impact on our readiness to fight.&quot;

&#39;Holding pattern&#39;

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

&quot;We&#39;re just in a holding pattern. We just have to wait and see. It&#39;s scary,&quot; Noell Joll, a 50-year-old furloughed US government employee, said in Washington.

Joll was also affected by the 2013 shutdown, but &quot;this one feels a lot more ominous,&quot; she said.

&quot;I think our members are frustrated, they&#39;re disappointed in the president and members of Congress that they&#39;re not funding the government - doing their job - as we do our jobs every day,&quot; J David Cox, the president of one of the largest unions representing government workers, said on CNN.

A deal had appeared likely on Friday afternoon, when Trump - who has touted himself as a master negotiator and dealmaker - seemed to be close to an agreement with Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on a measure to prevent the expulsion of undocumented migrants who arrived in the country as children.

But no such compromise was in the language that reached Congress for a stop-gap motion to keep the government open for four more weeks while a final arrangement is discussed - and Republicans failed to win enough Democratic support to bring it to a vote.

Congress reconvened for a rare Saturday session, where leaders of both sides traded accusations of responsibility for the shutdown.

Schumer said that trying to negotiate with Trump &quot;was like negotiating with Jell-O.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s impossible to negotiate with a constantly-moving target,&quot; he said. &quot;President Trump is so mercurial it&#39;s been impossible to get him to agree to anything.

The Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said that Schumer &quot;took the extraordinary step&quot; of preventing the legislation from passing and thus &quot;plunging the country into this totally avoidable mess.&quot;

Anti-Trump protests

Democrats have accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trump&#39;s populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 700,000 &quot;Dreamers&quot; - undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children - from deportation.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate but would have needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward. They fell ten votes short.

The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children - a long-time Democratic objective.

But it would have cut the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that affects Dreamers.

White House officials insisted there was no urgency to fix DACA, which expires March 5.

As US lawmakers wrangled over government funding, protesters turned out in cities including Washington, New York, Chicago and Denver to express their opposition to Trump and their support for women&#39;s rights.

Protestors hoisted signs with messages such as &quot;Fight like a girl&quot; and &quot;A woman&#39;s place is in the White House.&quot;

Another sign took aim at Trump&#39;s government: &quot;I&#39;ve seen smarter cabinets at IKEA,&quot; it said, referring to a furniture store with items requiring often-tedious and time-consuming assembly.

The impact of the shutdown will be felt more strongly if it lasts into the coming work week.

US President Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of his inauguration on Saturday with his government in shutdown, lashing out at Democrats over the collapse of budget negotiations as Congress convened an emergency session to thrash out a deal. Essential federal services and military activity will continue, but hundreds of thousands of public sector workers will be sent home without wages and even serving soldiers will not be paid until a deal is reached to reopen the US government. Highlighting the deep political polarisation, people took to the streets of major US cities en masse to march against the president and his policies. "This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present," Trump, who is in Washington instead of celebrating the anniversary at his Mar-a-Lago resort, wrote on Twitter in reference to the shutdown. "Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border," he tweeted, later accusing the opposition party of "holding our Military hostage." The impact of the shutdown will be felt more strongly if it lasts into the coming work week. Signs that the government was not open for business were already appearing on Saturday. "The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island are closed due to a lapse in appropriations," a notice on the National Park Service's website said, while a sign at US military cemetery in France where 4,409 Americans are buried read: "Due to the US Government shut down, this site is closed to the public." Defense Secretary Jim Mattis wrote in a memo that "daily operations around the world" will continue, but "training for reservists must be curtailed" and that "active forces will stay at their posts adapting their training to achieve the least negative impact on our readiness to fight." 'Holding pattern' There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave. "We're just in a holding pattern. We just have to wait and see. It's scary," Noell Joll, a 50-year-old furloughed US government employee, said in Washington. Joll was also affected by the 2013 shutdown, but "this one feels a lot more ominous," she said. "I think our members are frustrated, they're disappointed in the president and members of Congress that they're not funding the government - doing their job - as we do our jobs every day," J David Cox, the president of one of the largest unions representing government workers, said on CNN. A deal had appeared likely on Friday afternoon, when Trump - who has touted himself as a master negotiator and dealmaker - seemed to be close to an agreement with Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on a measure to prevent the expulsion of undocumented migrants who arrived in the country as children. But no such compromise was in the language that reached Congress for a stop-gap motion to keep the government open for four more weeks while a final arrangement is discussed - and Republicans failed to win enough Democratic support to bring it to a vote. Congress reconvened for a rare Saturday session, where leaders of both sides traded accusations of responsibility for the shutdown. Schumer said that trying to negotiate with Trump "was like negotiating with Jell-O." "It's impossible to negotiate with a constantly-moving target," he said. "President Trump is so mercurial it's been impossible to get him to agree to anything. The Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said that Schumer "took the extraordinary step" of preventing the legislation from passing and thus "plunging the country into this totally avoidable mess." Anti-Trump protests Democrats have accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trump's populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 700,000 "Dreamers" - undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children - from deportation. Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate but would have needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward. They fell ten votes short. The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children - a long-time Democratic objective. But it would have cut the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that affects Dreamers. White House officials insisted there was no urgency to fix DACA, which expires March 5. As US lawmakers wrangled over government funding, protesters turned out in cities including Washington, New York, Chicago and Denver to express their opposition to Trump and their support for women's rights. Protestors hoisted signs with messages such as "Fight like a girl" and "A woman's place is in the White House." Another sign took aim at Trump's government: "I've seen smarter cabinets at IKEA," it said, referring to a furniture store with items requiring often-tedious and time-consuming assembly.

Trump laments 'nice present' of shutdown on inauguration anniversary

A brief US&nbsp;government shutdown ended on Friday after Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a temporary spending deal expected to push budget deficits past $1 trillion annually with new military and domestic outlays.

But Trump is expected to unveil on Monday a fiscal 2019 budget plan that will be based on rosy assumptions, including the economic growth of 3.2 percent next year, a White House official said.

That level is well above the 2.5 percent growth achieved in 2017 and the 2.5 to 2.7 percent range of economists&#39; forecasts for this year. The White House&#39;s plan also anticipates that the strong growth will go on for years, the official said, with 3 percent growth in 2021, only tapering to 2.8 percent in 2026.

The growth assumptions in Trump&#39;s budget were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The Trump budget also assumes very low-interest rates, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield averaging 2.6 percent this year. But the 10-year yield closed at 2.86 percent on Friday, and the Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates three times this year.

Such optimistic assumptions would make deficits look smaller in Trump&#39;s budget plan after Republicans in December approved massive tax cuts expected to add about $1.5 trillion in new debt over a decade. Republicans contend that the tax cuts will fuel a spike in economic growth.

The White House also will amend the budget plan to take into account the higher spending levels in the budget deal passed just before dawn on Friday, a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget said.

Friday&#39;s spending measure, which ended an hours-long partial government shutdown, was approved by a wide margin in the Senate and survived a rebellion from conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives who objected to non-military spending increases.

It was the second shutdown this year under the Republican-controlled Congress and Trump, who played little role in attempts by party leaders this week to end months of fiscal squabbling.

In a Twitter post that acknowledged the misgivings of fiscal conservatives, the Republican president said after signing the measure, &quot;Without more Republicans in Congress, we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military&quot; with additional funding.

Trump also wrote that negotiations will &quot;start now!&quot; on an immigration measure that he and Democrats have been battling over for months.

The deal, the fifth temporary funding measure for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, replenishes federal coffers until March 23, giving lawmakers more time to write a full-year budget.

It also extends the U.S. government&#39;s borrowing authority until March 2019, sparing Washington politicians difficult votes on debt and deficits until after mid-term congressional elections in November.

&nbsp;

Deficit spurge

The Republican Party was once known for fiscal conservatism, but congressional Republicans and Trump are now quickly expanding the U.S. budget deficit and its $20 trillion national debt.

Nearly $300 billion in new spending included in the bill approved on Friday will mean the annual budget deficit will exceed $1 trillion in 2019, said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a private fiscal policy watchdog group.

Friday&#39;s deal allows for $165 billion in additional defence spending over two years, helping Trump deliver on his promise to boost the military. That won over many Republicans, but some were furious over the $131 billion extra allocated for non-military spending, including health and infrastructure.

None of the added spendings will be offset by budget savings elsewhere or revenue increases, relying instead on government borrowing. There also is no offset reduction for nearly $90 billion in new disaster aid for U.S. states and territories ravaged by hurricanes or wildfires last year.

The brief shutdown came at a sensitive time for financial markets, with world stock markets diving in the past week. Markets barely flinched at the last shutdown in January, but that was before a selloff that started on Jan. 30 amid concerns about inflation and higher interest rates.

Wall Street&#39;s main stock indexes climbed more than 1 percent on Friday, giving investors some solace after a week of huge swings that shook the market out of months of calm.

Republican Senator Rand Paul, objecting to deficit spending in the bill, launched a nine-hour, on-again, off-again protest and floor speech late on Thursday that delayed passage of the deal past midnight, when funding for the government ran out. He had harsh words for his own party.

&quot;Now we have Republicans hand in hand with Democrats offering us trillion-dollar deficits,&quot; Paul said.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and others in her party had opposed Friday&#39;s bill because Republican House leaders would not guarantee her a debate later on bipartisan steps to protect about 700,000 &quot;Dreamer&quot; immigrants from deportation.

These young adults were brought illegally to the country as children, mostly from Mexico. Trump said in September that he would end by March 5 former Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects the Dreamers from deportation.

The White House also will amend the budget plan to take into account the higher spending levels in the budget deal passed just before dawn on Friday, a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget said.

A brief US government shutdown ended on Friday after Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a temporary spending deal expected to push budget deficits past $1 trillion annually with new military and domestic outlays. But Trump is expected to unveil on Monday a fiscal 2019 budget plan that will be based on rosy assumptions, including the economic growth of 3.2 percent next year, a White House official said. That level is well above the 2.5 percent growth achieved in 2017 and the 2.5 to 2.7 percent range of economists' forecasts for this year. The White House's plan also anticipates that the strong growth will go on for years, the official said, with 3 percent growth in 2021, only tapering to 2.8 percent in 2026. The growth assumptions in Trump's budget were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The Trump budget also assumes very low-interest rates, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield averaging 2.6 percent this year. But the 10-year yield closed at 2.86 percent on Friday, and the Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates three times this year. Such optimistic assumptions would make deficits look smaller in Trump's budget plan after Republicans in December approved massive tax cuts expected to add about $1.5 trillion in new debt over a decade. Republicans contend that the tax cuts will fuel a spike in economic growth. The White House also will amend the budget plan to take into account the higher spending levels in the budget deal passed just before dawn on Friday, a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget said. Friday's spending measure, which ended an hours-long partial government shutdown, was approved by a wide margin in the Senate and survived a rebellion from conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives who objected to non-military spending increases. It was the second shutdown this year under the Republican-controlled Congress and Trump, who played little role in attempts by party leaders this week to end months of fiscal squabbling. In a Twitter post that acknowledged the misgivings of fiscal conservatives, the Republican president said after signing the measure, "Without more Republicans in Congress, we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military" with additional funding. Trump also wrote that negotiations will "start now!" on an immigration measure that he and Democrats have been battling over for months. The deal, the fifth temporary funding measure for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, replenishes federal coffers until March 23, giving lawmakers more time to write a full-year budget. It also extends the U.S. government's borrowing authority until March 2019, sparing Washington politicians difficult votes on debt and deficits until after mid-term congressional elections in November. Deficit spurge The Republican Party was once known for fiscal conservatism, but congressional Republicans and Trump are now quickly expanding the U.S. budget deficit and its $20 trillion national debt. Nearly $300 billion in new spending included in the bill approved on Friday will mean the annual budget deficit will exceed $1 trillion in 2019, said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a private fiscal policy watchdog group. Friday's deal allows for $165 billion in additional defence spending over two years, helping Trump deliver on his promise to boost the military. That won over many Republicans, but some were furious over the $131 billion extra allocated for non-military spending, including health and infrastructure. None of the added spendings will be offset by budget savings elsewhere or revenue increases, relying instead on government borrowing. There also is no offset reduction for nearly $90 billion in new disaster aid for U.S. states and territories ravaged by hurricanes or wildfires last year. The brief shutdown came at a sensitive time for financial markets, with world stock markets diving in the past week. Markets barely flinched at the last shutdown in January, but that was before a selloff that started on Jan. 30 amid concerns about inflation and higher interest rates. Wall Street's main stock indexes climbed more than 1 percent on Friday, giving investors some solace after a week of huge swings that shook the market out of months of calm. Republican Senator Rand Paul, objecting to deficit spending in the bill, launched a nine-hour, on-again, off-again protest and floor speech late on Thursday that delayed passage of the deal past midnight, when funding for the government ran out. He had harsh words for his own party. "Now we have Republicans hand in hand with Democrats offering us trillion-dollar deficits," Paul said. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and others in her party had opposed Friday's bill because Republican House leaders would not guarantee her a debate later on bipartisan steps to protect about 700,000 "Dreamer" immigrants from deportation. These young adults were brought illegally to the country as children, mostly from Mexico. Trump said in September that he would end by March 5 former Democratic President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects the Dreamers from deportation.

Trump signs deal to end brief agency shutdown, boost US spending

US Senate today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-to-begin-at-midnight-as-senate-adjourns-32283">passed a bill in a&nbsp;bid to end</a> the government shutdown after the senators failed to get the funding vote beyond the 12:00 am deadline earlier.

After the shutdown, the house opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am. This is the US government&#39;s second shutdown in three weeks.

The bipartisan vote was passed with 71 to 28 margin and is now headed to the House of Representatives for a pre-dawn Friday vote. After it is passed by the lower chamber of Congress it will then be signed by President Trump which will officially bring the shutdown to an end.

The fate of the bill remains uncertain in the lower chamber with both liberals and conservatives against each on several Budget proposals including the issue of allowing undocumented immigrants from deportation.

US Senate today passed a bill in bid to end the government shutdown

US Senate today passed a bill in a bid to end the government shutdown after the senators failed to get the funding vote beyond the 12:00 am deadline earlier. After the shutdown, the house opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am. This is the US government's second shutdown in three weeks. The bipartisan vote was passed with 71 to 28 margin and is now headed to the House of Representatives for a pre-dawn Friday vote. After it is passed by the lower chamber of Congress it will then be signed by President Trump which will officially bring the shutdown to an end. The fate of the bill remains uncertain in the lower chamber with both liberals and conservatives against each on several Budget proposals including the issue of allowing undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Senate clears bill in a bid to end US shutdown

US Senate <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congress-votes-to-end-us-shutdown-trump-claims-victory-30415">failed to break the deadlock on Thursday</a> as the Trump government shutdown with no funding vote&nbsp;beyond the 12:00 am deadline.

The senators were unable to pass a stopgap spending bill before midnight.

The house&nbsp;opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am.

This is the US government&#39;s second shutdown in three weeks after a senator in President Trump&#39;s own Republican Party blocked a vote on a bipartisan budget deal before a midnight deadline.

The closure could be shortlived&nbsp;as the Senate is&nbsp;expected to schedule a vote on the measure at 1:00 am and, if it passes, send it to the House of Representatives and then to President Trump&nbsp;for his signature as early as Friday.

Earlier, White House&#39;s Office of Management and Budget(OMB) told Reuters that the Budget &quot;is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations&quot;.

The bill, which extends government funding for six weeks, raises the federal debt ceiling and increases federal spending limits for the next two years, would break the cycle of government funding crises in time for what is set to be a bruising campaign for November&#39;s mid-term elections.

The closure could be shortlived as the Senate is expected to schedule a vote on the measure at 1:00 am

US Senate failed to break the deadlock on Thursday as the Trump government shutdown with no funding vote beyond the 12:00 am deadline. The senators were unable to pass a stopgap spending bill before midnight. The house opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am. This is the US government's second shutdown in three weeks after a senator in President Trump's own Republican Party blocked a vote on a bipartisan budget deal before a midnight deadline. The closure could be shortlived as the Senate is expected to schedule a vote on the measure at 1:00 am and, if it passes, send it to the House of Representatives and then to President Trump for his signature as early as Friday. Earlier, White House's Office of Management and Budget(OMB) told Reuters that the Budget "is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations". The bill, which extends government funding for six weeks, raises the federal debt ceiling and increases federal spending limits for the next two years, would break the cycle of government funding crises in time for what is set to be a bruising campaign for November's mid-term elections.

US government slides into second shutdown in three weeks

US President Donald Trump signed a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-congress-passes-spending-bill-sends-to-trump-to-end-shutdown-32327"> crucial spending bill </a>Friday, reopening the US government after a brief shutdown, the second in three weeks, and a night of high drama in Congress.

Trump announced the signing on his Twitter account, hailing the bill&#39;s passage in the early hours of Friday as a boost for the US military and &quot;JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!&quot;&nbsp; 
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Just signed Bill. Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything &mdash; and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/961957671246159875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The House voted 240 to 186 in support of a bipartisan package that extends funding until March 23, hours after a conservative senator forced Congress to miss a midnight deadline, sparking the shutdown.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky had blocked a vote in the upper house, briefly bringing the government to a halt to protest big increases in spending on the military and domestic programs.

The compromise approved overnight also leaves many Democrats frustrated by failing to address the fate of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants threatened with deportation.&nbsp;

Trump defended the deal, but said it contained &quot;much waste in order to get Dem votes.&quot;

&quot;Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything -- and more,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Without more Republicans in Congress, we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military. Sadly, we needed some Dem votes for passage.&quot;

Trump was referring to a provision in the bill that increases spending limits for the next two years and raises the federal debt ceiling until March 2019.

That is set to break the cycle of government funding crises in time for what will likely be a bruising campaign for November&#39;s mid-term elections.

But the dramatics in Congress spoke volumes about the political gridlock that defines Washington.

The rebellion that simmered among Republicans and Democrats over the budget agreement boiled over when a determined Paul brought the Senate&#39;s work to a halt.

&#39;Definition of hypocrisy&#39; 
 
The Kentucky Republican took the floor to blast the increase in federal spending limits, and in particular the fiscal irresponsibility of his own party.

&quot;If you&#39;re against president (Barack) Obama&#39;s deficits, but you&#39;re for the Republican deficits, isn&#39;t that the very definition of hypocrisy?&quot; he boomed, adding that he wants his fellow lawmakers &quot;to feel uncomfortable&quot; over the impasse.

Moving legislation swiftly through the upper chamber of Congress requires consent by all 100 members, but Paul objected.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer warned the delay put lawmakers &quot;in risky territory,&quot; and several fellow Republicans confronted Paul in the chamber about his strategy -- but he refused to yield to allow an early vote.

&nbsp;$300 billion more&nbsp; 
 
Ultimately, enough members from both parties joined forces to get the temporary spending bill across the finish line, but the bill&#39;s fate in the House had been far from certain.&nbsp;

It incorporates a major budget deal reached last week between Senate leaders on both sides of the political aisle.

That agreement includes a $300 billion increase to both military and non-military spending limits for this year and 2019, and raises the debt until March 1 next year.

It also provides a massive $90 billion disaster relief package and funding to address the nationwide opioid abuse crisis.

Several fiscal conservatives in the lower chamber joined Paul in balking at adding billions of dollars to the national debt two months after passing a $1.5 trillion tax cut package.

And liberal stalwarts including top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi were also in revolt because the deal does nothing to protect immigrants known as &quot;Dreamers,&quot; who were brought to the US illegally as children, from deportation.

&quot;Nobody wants a shutdown,&quot; Pelosi told the House moments before the vote.

She said she wanted an assurance from Ryan that he would take up the issue of immigration in the coming weeks.

&quot;Give us a chance to allay the fear that is in the hearts of these Dreamers and their families, and remove the tears from the Statue of Liberty observing what is happening here,&quot; she said.

Democrats have sought to link the funding debate to a permanent solution for the &quot;Dreamers,&quot; who were shielded from deportation under an Obama-era program which ended last September by Trump, who set a March 5 deadline for resolving the issue.

The White House&#39;s current proposal -- one that would put 1.8 million immigrants on a path to citizenship, but also boost border security, and dramatically curtail legal immigration -- has been panned by Democrats, and several other bipartisan efforts have stalled. 
&nbsp;

Trump announced the signing on his Twitter account, hailing the bill's passage in the early hours of Friday as a boost for the US military and jobs

US President Donald Trump signed a crucial spending bill Friday, reopening the US government after a brief shutdown, the second in three weeks, and a night of high drama in Congress. Trump announced the signing on his Twitter account, hailing the bill's passage in the early hours of Friday as a boost for the US military and "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!" Just signed Bill. Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2018 × The House voted 240 to 186 in support of a bipartisan package that extends funding until March 23, hours after a conservative senator forced Congress to miss a midnight deadline, sparking the shutdown. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky had blocked a vote in the upper house, briefly bringing the government to a halt to protest big increases in spending on the military and domestic programs. The compromise approved overnight also leaves many Democrats frustrated by failing to address the fate of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants threatened with deportation. Trump defended the deal, but said it contained "much waste in order to get Dem votes." "Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything -- and more," he said. "Without more Republicans in Congress, we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military. Sadly, we needed some Dem votes for passage." Trump was referring to a provision in the bill that increases spending limits for the next two years and raises the federal debt ceiling until March 2019. That is set to break the cycle of government funding crises in time for what will likely be a bruising campaign for November's mid-term elections. But the dramatics in Congress spoke volumes about the political gridlock that defines Washington. The rebellion that simmered among Republicans and Democrats over the budget agreement boiled over when a determined Paul brought the Senate's work to a halt. 'Definition of hypocrisy' The Kentucky Republican took the floor to blast the increase in federal spending limits, and in particular the fiscal irresponsibility of his own party. "If you're against president (Barack) Obama's deficits, but you're for the Republican deficits, isn't that the very definition of hypocrisy?" he boomed, adding that he wants his fellow lawmakers "to feel uncomfortable" over the impasse. Moving legislation swiftly through the upper chamber of Congress requires consent by all 100 members, but Paul objected. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer warned the delay put lawmakers "in risky territory," and several fellow Republicans confronted Paul in the chamber about his strategy -- but he refused to yield to allow an early vote. $300 billion more Ultimately, enough members from both parties joined forces to get the temporary spending bill across the finish line, but the bill's fate in the House had been far from certain. It incorporates a major budget deal reached last week between Senate leaders on both sides of the political aisle. That agreement includes a $300 billion increase to both military and non-military spending limits for this year and 2019, and raises the debt until March 1 next year. It also provides a massive $90 billion disaster relief package and funding to address the nationwide opioid abuse crisis. Several fiscal conservatives in the lower chamber joined Paul in balking at adding billions of dollars to the national debt two months after passing a $1.5 trillion tax cut package. And liberal stalwarts including top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi were also in revolt because the deal does nothing to protect immigrants known as "Dreamers," who were brought to the US illegally as children, from deportation. "Nobody wants a shutdown," Pelosi told the House moments before the vote. She said she wanted an assurance from Ryan that he would take up the issue of immigration in the coming weeks. "Give us a chance to allay the fear that is in the hearts of these Dreamers and their families, and remove the tears from the Statue of Liberty observing what is happening here," she said. Democrats have sought to link the funding debate to a permanent solution for the "Dreamers," who were shielded from deportation under an Obama-era program which ended last September by Trump, who set a March 5 deadline for resolving the issue. The White House's current proposal -- one that would put 1.8 million immigrants on a path to citizenship, but also boost border security, and dramatically curtail legal immigration -- has been panned by Democrats, and several other bipartisan efforts have stalled.

Trump signs bill ending government shutdown

Bitterly divided<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congress-votes-to-end-us-shutdown-trump-claims-victory-30415"> US lawmakers return this week </a>to face a shrinking window for reaching deals on immigration, federal spending and the debt, as Republican infighting swirls and President Donald Trump complains he is getting zero cooperation from Democrats.

 
Trump vowed during his State of the Union address last week to &quot;extend an open hand&quot; to both parties in pursuing an immigration deal that shields 1.8 million undocumented migrants from deportation.

 
But his proposal has been savaged by opposition Democrats, and Trump&#39;s &quot;open hand&quot; soon wagged an accusatory finger.

 
&quot;They Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct - and do nothing&quot; to break the immigration stalemate, Trump tweeted a few days after his January 30 speech.

 
Congress has also been haggling over spending caps for domestic programs and the military as they seek to finalize a budget for the remainder of 2018.

 
But Republican leaders have acknowledged they will not meet a Thursday deadline for a spending bill, and will have to pass yet another stopgap measure this week -- with help from Democrats -- to avoid a government shutdown.

 
House Speaker Paul Ryan said that while both sides were &quot;making progress&quot; on a budget agreement, a temporary spending bill was necessary to keep the lights on in Washington.

 
&quot;We&#39;re still negotiating the contents and the duration of that,&quot; he said.

 
Lawmakers are smarting from an embarrassing three-day shutdown last month, when Democrats refused to back a spending measure that did not break the immigration impasse.

 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this time he did not expect another threat of a government shutdown, which Trump critics blamed on Republicans but McConnell pinned on Democrats.

 
&quot;There&#39;s no education in the second kick of a mule,&quot; the Kentucky lawmaker said.

Trump vowed during his State of the Union address last week to "extend an open hand" to both parties

Bitterly divided US lawmakers return this week to face a shrinking window for reaching deals on immigration, federal spending and the debt, as Republican infighting swirls and President Donald Trump complains he is getting zero cooperation from Democrats. Trump vowed during his State of the Union address last week to "extend an open hand" to both parties in pursuing an immigration deal that shields 1.8 million undocumented migrants from deportation. But his proposal has been savaged by opposition Democrats, and Trump's "open hand" soon wagged an accusatory finger. "They Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct - and do nothing" to break the immigration stalemate, Trump tweeted a few days after his January 30 speech. Congress has also been haggling over spending caps for domestic programs and the military as they seek to finalize a budget for the remainder of 2018. But Republican leaders have acknowledged they will not meet a Thursday deadline for a spending bill, and will have to pass yet another stopgap measure this week -- with help from Democrats -- to avoid a government shutdown. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that while both sides were "making progress" on a budget agreement, a temporary spending bill was necessary to keep the lights on in Washington. "We're still negotiating the contents and the duration of that," he said. Lawmakers are smarting from an embarrassing three-day shutdown last month, when Democrats refused to back a spending measure that did not break the immigration impasse. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this time he did not expect another threat of a government shutdown, which Trump critics blamed on Republicans but McConnell pinned on Democrats. "There's no education in the second kick of a mule," the Kentucky lawmaker said.

US Congress seeks deals on budget, immigration as shutdown looms

The US Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 &quot;Dreamer&quot; immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one &quot;could very well not happen&quot; by a deadline next month.

Whether the lack of progress signalled the possibility of another federal government shutdown next week was unclear, but it worried the Dreamers, young people who were brought illegally into the United States as children.

Trump said last year that he would end by March 5 a program that was set up by former President Barack Obama to protect the Dreamers from deportation, and he urged Congress to act before that date. No action has resulted.

&quot;We want to make a deal,&quot; Trump said at an event in Virginia with US Customs and Border Protection officials. And he blamed Democratic lawmakers for the impasse.

&quot;I think they want to use it for political purposes for elections. I really am not happy with the way it&#39;s going from the standpoint of the Democrats,&quot; he said.

Democrats have said repeatedly that they want protections written into law for the Dreamers, who were given temporary legal status by Obama&#39;s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which lets them study and work in the United States without fear of deportation.

Republicans, who control Congress, are undecided on what to do about DACA and the Dreamers. They ended a three-day retreat at a mountain resort in West Virginia on Friday not much nearer to consensus than they were a week ago.

The partisan standoff caused a partial shutdown of the federal government for three days last month after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure needed to keep the lights on at federal facilities across the country.

The House of Representatives plans to vote on Tuesday on legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Feb. 8, when existing funds expire, a senior House Republican aide said.

The aide did not provide details, however, on the duration of this latest-in-a-series of temporary funding measures.

Democrats have leverage on the immigration issue because their votes are needed to pass spending measures in the Senate.

The next spending deadline looms on Thursday, with Democrats defiant in their demands and Republicans remaining divided.

Four-Part Offer&nbsp;

Trump has offered the Dreamers a path to citizenship, but only on the condition he also gets funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, as well as other immigration-related measures that Democrats oppose.

Last month, he proposed letting 1.8 million Dreamers stay in the country and become citizens in exchange for $25 billion for the wall, curbs on family-sponsored immigration, and an end to a visa lottery program.

Some lawmakers want Trump&#39;s four-part immigration framework pared back, while others want it approved or made even more strict on future immigration.

&quot;If we can solve DACA and border security that may be the best I can hope for,&quot; Senator John Thune, a member of the Republican leadership, told reporters at the retreat.

Senator James Lankford was among Republicans who said this week that Trump could give Congress more time to reach a deal by extending the Dreamers&#39; deadline beyond March 5.

Trump reiterated on Thursday at the retreat that all four components of his framework must be included in a deal, a stance viewed as unworkable by many lawmakers in both parties.

Some Republicans say the March 5 deadline lost its power last month when a federal court blocked the rescinding of DACA. That meant the law would remain in effect until the Supreme Court resolves the case, which is unlikely by March 5.

In a research note, financial firm Height Analytics set the odds of another shutdown next week at 65 per cent.

Republicans are trying to call Democrats&#39; bluff on DACA, but the Democrats look even more willing to allow a shutdown than they were last month, the analysts said. &quot;What this has become is a very absurd game of chicken,&quot; they said in the note.

The US Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 'Dreamer' immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one 'could very well not happen' by a deadline next month

The US Congress made no notable progress this week toward a deal on the status of 700,000 "Dreamer" immigrants, with President Donald Trump saying on Friday that one "could very well not happen" by a deadline next month. Whether the lack of progress signalled the possibility of another federal government shutdown next week was unclear, but it worried the Dreamers, young people who were brought illegally into the United States as children. Trump said last year that he would end by March 5 a program that was set up by former President Barack Obama to protect the Dreamers from deportation, and he urged Congress to act before that date. No action has resulted. "We want to make a deal," Trump said at an event in Virginia with US Customs and Border Protection officials. And he blamed Democratic lawmakers for the impasse. "I think they want to use it for political purposes for elections. I really am not happy with the way it's going from the standpoint of the Democrats," he said. Democrats have said repeatedly that they want protections written into law for the Dreamers, who were given temporary legal status by Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which lets them study and work in the United States without fear of deportation. Republicans, who control Congress, are undecided on what to do about DACA and the Dreamers. They ended a three-day retreat at a mountain resort in West Virginia on Friday not much nearer to consensus than they were a week ago. The partisan standoff caused a partial shutdown of the federal government for three days last month after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure needed to keep the lights on at federal facilities across the country. The House of Representatives plans to vote on Tuesday on legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Feb. 8, when existing funds expire, a senior House Republican aide said. The aide did not provide details, however, on the duration of this latest-in-a-series of temporary funding measures. Democrats have leverage on the immigration issue because their votes are needed to pass spending measures in the Senate. The next spending deadline looms on Thursday, with Democrats defiant in their demands and Republicans remaining divided. Four-Part Offer Trump has offered the Dreamers a path to citizenship, but only on the condition he also gets funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, as well as other immigration-related measures that Democrats oppose. Last month, he proposed letting 1.8 million Dreamers stay in the country and become citizens in exchange for $25 billion for the wall, curbs on family-sponsored immigration, and an end to a visa lottery program. Some lawmakers want Trump's four-part immigration framework pared back, while others want it approved or made even more strict on future immigration. "If we can solve DACA and border security that may be the best I can hope for," Senator John Thune, a member of the Republican leadership, told reporters at the retreat. Senator James Lankford was among Republicans who said this week that Trump could give Congress more time to reach a deal by extending the Dreamers' deadline beyond March 5. Trump reiterated on Thursday at the retreat that all four components of his framework must be included in a deal, a stance viewed as unworkable by many lawmakers in both parties. Some Republicans say the March 5 deadline lost its power last month when a federal court blocked the rescinding of DACA. That meant the law would remain in effect until the Supreme Court resolves the case, which is unlikely by March 5. In a research note, financial firm Height Analytics set the odds of another shutdown next week at 65 per cent. Republicans are trying to call Democrats' bluff on DACA, but the Democrats look even more willing to allow a shutdown than they were last month, the analysts said. "What this has become is a very absurd game of chicken," they said in the note.

No progress on 'Dreamers' as another US shutdown looms

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