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| White House backs down on US government shutdown threat | White House backs down on US government shutdown threat |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US President Donald Trump is backing down on his threat to shut down the government after Democrats refused to grant him the funding to build the wall he wants on the border with Mexico. | US President Donald Trump is backing down on his threat to shut down the government after Democrats refused to grant him the funding to build the wall he wants on the border with Mexico. |
| The White House has identified other funding sources for the project, says spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. | The White House has identified other funding sources for the project, says spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. |
| Mr Trump is seeking $5bn (£3.9bn) from Congress to start work on the wall. | |
| Several federal agencies will shut down on Friday if Congress and the president fail to reach agreement on funding. | Several federal agencies will shut down on Friday if Congress and the president fail to reach agreement on funding. |
| Mrs Sanders told Fox News on Tuesday: "We have other ways that we can get to that $5bn. | Mrs Sanders told Fox News on Tuesday: "We have other ways that we can get to that $5bn. |
| "At the end of the day we don't want to shut down the government, we want to shut down the border." | "At the end of the day we don't want to shut down the government, we want to shut down the border." |
| She added: "There are certainly a number of different funding sources that we've identified that we can use, that we can couple with money that would be given through congressional appropriations that would help us get to that $5bn that the president needs in order to protect our border." | She added: "There are certainly a number of different funding sources that we've identified that we can use, that we can couple with money that would be given through congressional appropriations that would help us get to that $5bn that the president needs in order to protect our border." |
| It was not immediately clear what those alternative sources of funding were. | It was not immediately clear what those alternative sources of funding were. |
| Lawmakers have said they are prepared only to grant $1.6bn for border security, but that none of that money can be used for constructing a wall. | |
| Just before Mrs Sanders' announcement, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer had tweeted at the president, saying: "No temper tantrum is going to get you the wall." | |
| The haggling comes as funding for the homeland security, justice, agriculture, interior and other departments is due to expire at midnight on Friday. | |
| Last week, Mr Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government if he did not get funding for his planned wall. | |
| That threat came as he bickered with Mr Schumer and top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office in front of reporters. | |
| Mr Trump has previously said the wall would cost $25bn. | Mr Trump has previously said the wall would cost $25bn. |
| In March, he examined wall prototypes in California while saying some undocumented immigrants "are like professional mountain climbers". | |
| Democrats have been firmly against Mr Trump's proposed wall, and in the new year, they will assume the majority in the House of Representatives. |