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US government partially shuts down over border wall row US government partially shuts down over border wall row
(about 3 hours later)
A partial US government shutdown has taken effect after US lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse.A partial US government shutdown has taken effect after US lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse.
Mr Trump, who has to sign off any deal, is insisting at least $5bn (£4bn) in funding be included for his long-promised wall along the Mexican border. President Donald Trump, who has to sign off on any deal, is insisting at least $5bn (£4bn) be included for his long-promised wall along the Mexican border.
Lawmakers adjourned last-minute talks on Friday evening. In the absence of a deal, funding for about a quarter of US federal agencies lapsed at midnight (05:00GMT Saturday).
In the absence of an agreement, funding for about a quarter of all US federal agencies lapsed at midnight (05:00 GMT Saturday). Both the House and Senate are set to be back in session at noon on Saturday (17:00GMT) to try to resolve the issue.
It means the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State, and Justice will begin to shut down and federal national parks and forests will also be affected. Meanwhile, nine of 15 federal departments, including State, Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture and Justice are now partially shutting down.
The partial closure, the third of 2018, means hundreds of thousands of federal employees will have to work unpaid or be put on temporary leave. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees will have to work unpaid or be put on temporary leave. This is the third time US federal funding has lapsed so far this year, although the other two were brief.
In a video address published on Mr Trump's Twitter account shortly before the shutdown began, the president insisted the onus was on the Democrats to resolve the closure. What is the row about and how did we get here?
Senior Democrats have accused the president of provoking the situation with a "temper tantrum". It's pretty much all about the wall.
What is the row about? On Wednesday, a bilateral deal appeared to have been agreed in the Senate to keep federal agencies open until 8 February. But the agreement did not include funding for Mr Trump's wall.
On Wednesday, a stopgap spending bill was passed in order to keep federal agencies open until 8 February - but the agreement did not include funding for Mr Trump's wall. Mr Trump then dug his heels in over the issue after criticism from conservative talk show hosts and other allies and insisted that funds for the wall must be included for him to sign the budget off.
After a rare backlash from his supporters and hard-line Republicans, Mr Trump dug his heels in over the issue and insisted funds for the wall must be included for him to sign it off. The Republican-controlled House then passed a bill on Thursday approving $5.7bn (£4.5bn) of funding for the wall.
Under current rules, spending bills are approved in the House of Representatives with a simple majority vote. Mr Trump's party currently dominate that chamber, but the Democrats are set to take control of it in January. Mr Trump is well aware the Democrats are taking control of the House in January and wall funding will then be opposed.
The House has now approved $5.7bn (£4.5bn) of funding for the wall, but before the spending bill reaches the president it also needs to be passed by 60 votes in the Senate - where Republicans only hold 51 seats. But the other problem for Mr Trump is that he does not have the 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate he needs to get the House budget passed.
The shutdown fight could change No amount of shuttling between party negotiators on Capitol Hill could resolve the issue before the Saturday deadline.
Analysis by the BBC's North America reporter Anthony Zurcher So what happens now?
The current House of Representatives seems solidly behind including wall funding in any bill. Well the Democrats appear to be refusing to budge on funding for the wall.
But the dynamic changes considerably on 3 January, when Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats take over the House. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: "President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening towards a 'Trump shutdown' over Christmas."
At that point, the door slams shut on wall funding ever being approved in the House. The Senate may very well acquiesce to a new wall-free spending bill and the president becomes the final roadblock. Mr Trump seems similarly intractable.
Would he back down, giving the House Democrats an early win? That may be a bitter pill to swallow. In a video address published on his Twitter account shortly before the shutdown began, he said "there is nothing" his Republican party can do about the shutdown and said "we need the Democrats to give us their votes" to resolve it.
For Mr Trump, however, the pain he appears to fear from his supporters seems to outweigh in his mind the political discomfort from a shutdown. The two houses have promised to talk through the weekend to try to resolve the issue.
Read more from Anthony Zurcher Some lawmakers were hopeful that there may be a deal involving less money for the wall and more restrictions on it.
But Mr Trump has also suggested Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell should invoke the so-called "nuclear option" to break the impasse.
The option would mean the bill could be approved in the Senate with a simple majority instead of the 60 currently required.
But Mr McConnell has repeatedly refused in the past to invoke such an extreme legislative manoeuvre. A number of Republican senators on Friday also made clear their staunch opposition to the proposal.
What will the shutdown mean?
About 380,000 government employees will be made to take temporary, unpaid leave.
Meanwhile, 420,000 employees working in essential roles - considered necessary for the "protection of life and property" - will keep working, without being paid.
In practice, this means that:
The remaining 75% of the federal government is fully funded until September 2019 - so the defence, veterans affairs, labour and education departments are not affected.
Why does Mr Trump want the wall?Why does Mr Trump want the wall?
A strengthened southern border wall was a key election promise for Mr Trump.A strengthened southern border wall was a key election promise for Mr Trump.
On Friday Mr Trump shared a graphic of his steel-slat wall design for the wall.On Friday Mr Trump shared a graphic of his steel-slat wall design for the wall.
Later, he posted a video regarding the immigration row, where he said it was "very dangerous out there".Later, he posted a video regarding the immigration row, where he said it was "very dangerous out there".
His address, which was spliced with footage that appeared to show immigrants pushing down border fencing, cautioned about drugs and violent gang members entering the country illegally.His address, which was spliced with footage that appeared to show immigrants pushing down border fencing, cautioned about drugs and violent gang members entering the country illegally.
"We don't want 'em in the United States, We don't want 'em in our country," Mr Trump said."We don't want 'em in the United States, We don't want 'em in our country," Mr Trump said.
"The only thing that's going to stop that is great border security with a wall, or a slat fence, or whatever you wanna call it."
During his campaign he insisted he would make Mexico pay for it, but the country has refused.During his campaign he insisted he would make Mexico pay for it, but the country has refused.
The Democrats have also remained resolute that US taxpayers should not pay for his plan.
This week Mr Trump's supporters created a crowdfunding page for the building process - an appeal that has so far raised more than $13m (£10m) in just four days.This week Mr Trump's supporters created a crowdfunding page for the building process - an appeal that has so far raised more than $13m (£10m) in just four days.
What will happen now?
After last-ditch talks failed to reach a resolution on Friday night, members of Congress left Capitol Hill but are expected to return on Saturday.
In his video, Mr Trump said "there is nothing" his Republican party can do about the shutdown and said "we need the Democrats to give us their votes" to resolve it.
"Call it a Democrat shutdown, call it whatever you want but we need their help to get this approved," he said, before urging a bipartisan effort.
Speaking on the floor on Friday, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer laid blame with the president.
"President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening towards a 'Trump shutdown' over Christmas," Mr Schumer said.
Mr Trump has suggested Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell should invoke the so-called "nuclear option" to break the impasse.
The option would mean the bill could be approved in the Senate with a simple majority instead of the 60 currently required - bypassing the need for bipartisan support.
But Mr McConnell has repeatedly refused in the past to invoke such an extreme legislative manoeuvre.
A number of Republican senators on Friday also made clear their staunch opposition to the proposal.
The midnight closure is the third time US federal funding has lapsed so far this year.
What will the shutdown mean?
About 380,000 government employees will be made to take temporary, unpaid leave.
Meanwhile, 420,000 employees working in essential roles - considered necessary for the "protection of life and property" - will keep working, without being paid.
In practice, this means that:
The remaining 75% of the federal government is fully funded until September 2019 - so the defence, veterans affairs, labour and education departments are not affected.
Have you been affected by the partial government shutdown? Tell us your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.ukHave you been affected by the partial government shutdown? Tell us your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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