US talks to break stand-off hit the wall

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump walked out of negotiations with congressional leaders on Wednesday – “I said byebye,” he tweeted – as efforts to end the 19-day partial government shutdown fell into deeper disarray over his demand for billions of dollars to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

In a negotiating session that was over almost as soon as it began, Democrats went to the White House asking Trump to reopen the government. Trump renewed his call for money for his signature campaign promise, and was rebuffed. Republicans and Democrats had differing accounts of the brief exchange, but the result was clear: the partial shutdown continued, with no end in sight.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers will miss their pay cheques today; a little more than half of them are still working without pay. Other key federal services are suspended, including some food inspections. And as some lawmakers expressed discomfort with the growing toll of the stand-off, it was clear on Wednesday that the wall was at the centre.

Trump revived his threat to attempt to override Congress by declaring a national emergency to unleash Defence Department funding for the wall. He was due to visit the border yesterday to highlight what he declared in an Oval Office speech on Tuesday night as a “crisis”. Democrats say Trump is manufacturing the emergency to justify a political ploy.

That debate set the tone for Wednesday’s sit-down at the White House.

Republicans said Trump posed a direct question to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: if he opened the government, would she fund the wall? She said no. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump slammed his hand on the table, said “then we have nothing to discuss”, and walked out.

Republicans said Trump, who passed out sweets at the start of the meeting, did not raise his voice, and there was no table-pounding. Pelosi said Trump “stomped” out of the room and was “petulant”; Republicans said he was merely firm.

“The president made clear today that he is going to stand firm to achieve his priorities to build a wall – a steel barrier – at the southern border,” Vice-President Mike Pence told reporters afterwards.

Trump had just returned from Capitol Hill, where he urged jittery congressional Republicans to hold firm with him. He suggested a deal for his border wall might be getting closer, but he also said the shutdown would last “whatever it takes”. | AP African News Agency (ANA)