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| Trump vows 'very long' shutdown in border wall standoff | Trump vows 'very long' shutdown in border wall standoff |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| US President Donald Trump has vowed a "very long" government shutdown if Democrats do not fund his border wall. | US President Donald Trump has vowed a "very long" government shutdown if Democrats do not fund his border wall. |
| Mr Trump is demanding $5.7bn (£4.5bn), which was passed by the House of Representatives, but is expected to be rejected in the Senate. | Mr Trump is demanding $5.7bn (£4.5bn), which was passed by the House of Representatives, but is expected to be rejected in the Senate. |
| "I hope we don't but we are totally prepared for a very long shutdown," he said during a White House event. | "I hope we don't but we are totally prepared for a very long shutdown," he said during a White House event. |
| If no deal is reached, parts of the US government will begin to close at midnight on Friday. | If no deal is reached, parts of the US government will begin to close at midnight on Friday. |
| With only hours remaining to strike a deal, Mr Trump said that the "chances are probably very good" of a "Democrat shutdown". | |
| The Republican president met senators from his own party beforehand at the White House, where they held a "great meeting" that "lasted a long time," he added. | |
| "Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!" he tweeted earlier on Friday. | "Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!" he tweeted earlier on Friday. |
| What next? | What next? |
| The Senate is currently voting on a measure that the House approved a day earlier by 217-185. | The Senate is currently voting on a measure that the House approved a day earlier by 217-185. |
| The window for senators to vote will remain open for much of the day on Friday, as senators return to Washington from around the country. | The window for senators to vote will remain open for much of the day on Friday, as senators return to Washington from around the country. |
| Mr Trump will postpone his Christmas trip to Florida in the event of a shutdown, aides say. | Mr Trump will postpone his Christmas trip to Florida in the event of a shutdown, aides say. |
| Any partial shutdown would be the third such closure of federal agencies in 2018. | Any partial shutdown would be the third such closure of federal agencies in 2018. |
| If it occurs, it may not be settled until after the New Year, when Democrats take control of the House. | If it occurs, it may not be settled until after the New Year, when Democrats take control of the House. |
| What did Mr Trump say? | What did Mr Trump say? |
| In early morning tweets on Friday, Mr Trump accused Democrats of "trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old-fashioned". | |
| "The fact is there is nothing else's that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It's like the wheel, there is nothing better," Mr Trump wrote. | "The fact is there is nothing else's that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It's like the wheel, there is nothing better," Mr Trump wrote. |
| "In Israel the Wall is 99.9% successful," he added. "Will not be any different on our Southern Border!" | "In Israel the Wall is 99.9% successful," he added. "Will not be any different on our Southern Border!" |
| "If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don't want Open Borders and Crime!" | "If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don't want Open Borders and Crime!" |
| A budget agreement seemed a done deal this week until Mr Trump dug in his heels after he was hit by a rare backlash from hardline conservatives outraged by the lack wall funding. | A budget agreement seemed a done deal this week until Mr Trump dug in his heels after he was hit by a rare backlash from hardline conservatives outraged by the lack wall funding. |
| He is now urging Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to invoke the so-called "nuclear option". | He is now urging Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to invoke the so-called "nuclear option". |
| What's the 'nuclear option'? | What's the 'nuclear option'? |
| It is a rule change that would allow the budget to pass by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the 60 currently required under Senate rules. | It is a rule change that would allow the budget to pass by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the 60 currently required under Senate rules. |
| The president's fellow Republicans currently have 51 seats in the 100-seat Senate. | The president's fellow Republicans currently have 51 seats in the 100-seat Senate. |
| But Mr McConnell has repeatedly refused in the past to invoke such an extreme legislative manoeuvre. | But Mr McConnell has repeatedly refused in the past to invoke such an extreme legislative manoeuvre. |
| A number of Republican senators on Friday made clear their staunch opposition to the "nuclear option". | A number of Republican senators on Friday made clear their staunch opposition to the "nuclear option". |
| They warned it would be politically explosive in an upper chamber that prides itself on cross-party comity. | They warned it would be politically explosive in an upper chamber that prides itself on cross-party comity. |
| Retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona tweeted: "Deploying the nuclear option would blow that [bipartisanship] up. I will not vote to do it." | Retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona tweeted: "Deploying the nuclear option would blow that [bipartisanship] up. I will not vote to do it." |
| Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee also said he would vote no. | |
| Mr Alexander, who announced his retirement this week, said in a statement: "I want to put a stop to this practice of the Senate breaking its rules to change its rules." | |
| What happens at midnight? | What happens at midnight? |
| Roughly a quarter of federal agencies - including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State, and Justice - will shut down by the end of Friday if no deal is reached. | Roughly a quarter of federal agencies - including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State, and Justice - will shut down by the end of Friday if no deal is reached. |
| National parks and forests will close. | National parks and forests will close. |
| But federal programmes on pensions and healthcare will continue to function, as will the military, border patrol, coast guard, federal judiciary, air traffic control and airport security. | But federal programmes on pensions and healthcare will continue to function, as will the military, border patrol, coast guard, federal judiciary, air traffic control and airport security. |
| The US Postal Service, which is delivering millions of packages before Christmas, will also be unaffected as it is an independent agency. | The US Postal Service, which is delivering millions of packages before Christmas, will also be unaffected as it is an independent agency. |
| More than 800,000 government employees will either have to stay at home unpaid, or work without pay. | More than 800,000 government employees will either have to stay at home unpaid, or work without pay. |
| What's the other reaction? | What's the other reaction? |
| "Ugh, are you ruining my life?" said Republican Senator Susan Collins when she was told by reporters of Mr Trump's vow to veto any budget deal missing funds for a US-Mexico border wall. | "Ugh, are you ruining my life?" said Republican Senator Susan Collins when she was told by reporters of Mr Trump's vow to veto any budget deal missing funds for a US-Mexico border wall. |
| Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called the shutdown "100% avoidable", accusing Mr Trump of "choosing funding for his ineffective and wasteful border wall over what's best for our country". | Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called the shutdown "100% avoidable", accusing Mr Trump of "choosing funding for his ineffective and wasteful border wall over what's best for our country". |
| Meanwhile, a US military veteran's grassroots $1bn fundraiser to erect a border wall, and "help President Trump make America safe again", has raised over $12m. | Meanwhile, a US military veteran's grassroots $1bn fundraiser to erect a border wall, and "help President Trump make America safe again", has raised over $12m. |
| A rival online campaign, called "Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall", has raised nearly $75,000 in its first day. | A rival online campaign, called "Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall", has raised nearly $75,000 in its first day. |