Partial US govt shutdown set to last through Christmas

The partial government shutdown is set to stretch on through Christmas as Congress adjourned on Saturday with no deal in sight to end the impasse over funding for President Donald Trump’s wall on the United States-Mexico border.

Due to the shutdown, which saw several key US agencies cease operations on Saturday – Trump said he would remain here over Christmas instead of going to Florida.

“I am in the White House, working hard,” the Republican president tweeted on Saturday.

“We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay.”

Trump has dug in on his demand for US$5 billion (RM20.9 billion) for construction of the wall on the border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal meant federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed at midnight on Friday.

The House of Representatives and the Senate held sessions on Saturday, but both chambers adjourned without a deal being reached, and no votes were expected until Thursday.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer blasted the president and blamed him for the shutdown: “President Trump, if you want to open the government, abandon the wall, plain and simple.”

“The shutdown isn’t over border security, it’s because President Trump is demanding billions of dollars for an expensive, ineffective wall that the majority of Americans don’t support.”