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Democrats hold firm on shutdown as Trump refuses to take blame Trump stance on shutdown is 'useless' and 'puerile', senior Republican says
(about 1 hour later)
America woke to day two of its third government shutdown in a year with hundreds of thousands of federal employees no closer to being paid over Christmas, national parks closed and Donald Trump obdurately refusing to accept the blame for an event he previously declared he would be “proud” to cause. America woke to day two of its third government shutdown in a year with hundreds of thousands of federal employees no closer to being paid over Christmas, national parks closed and Donald Trump stubbornly refusing to accept the blame for an event he previously declared he would be “proud” to cause.
Chaos at home, fear abroad: Trump unleashed puts western world on edgeChaos at home, fear abroad: Trump unleashed puts western world on edge
The Senate adjourned without a deal, meaning the shutdown will continue until at least Thursday, after the Christmas holiday. Incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the administration was waiting to hear from congressional leaders on an offer of a deal. But he also said the shutdown could “very likely” extend into 2019. A senior Republican senator, meanwhile, said the president’s behaviour in provoking and prolonging the shutdown was “useless” and “puerile”.
Majority leader Mitch McConnell cited the Republican House bill that included $5bn for Trump’s border wall as he passed the ball to Democrats and the president. He told reporters: “Listen, anything can happen.” The Senate adjourned on Saturday, majority leader Mitch McConnell citing a Republican House bill that included $5bn for Trump’s border wall as he passed the ball to Democrats and the president. That meant the shutdown will continue until at least Thursday, after the Christmas holiday. Congress gathers again on 3 January. Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday it was “very possible” the shutdown could stretch into the New Year.
But after Vice-President Mike Pence left Capitol Hill, after more fruitless talks, Richard Shelby of Alabama, the Republican chair of the Senate appropriations committee, said a quick end to the shutdown was “not probable”. Speaking to ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Mulvaney said he and Vice-President Mike Pence had gone to Capitol Hill to make “an offer late yesterday afternoon and we’re waiting to hear back”. He also said Trump had “made it very clear” that he is “willing to discuss a larger immigration solution”.
Shelby ate lunch at the White House on Saturday, with rightwingers including House Freedom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio. No Republican leaders or any Democrats, all needed for any deal, attended the meal. Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee and will retire at the end of the year, did not express such optimism. He said Trump had contrived the shutdown as a campaign issue.
Trump will remain in Washington for Christmas, his Florida vacation cancelled, first lady Melania Trump forced to fly back into town. On Saturday he used Twitter to say he was “working hard”, and to repeatedly claim the Democrats were to blame for a shutdown he said last week he wanted if his demands on border security were not met. After the White House lunch, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said: “It’s clear to me [Trump] believes the additional funding is necessary.” “This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting,” Corker told CNN’s State of the Union, adding that precedent showed Democrats would back much larger spending for border security in return for reform, such as to the status of Dreamers, young undocumented migrants brought to the US as children – just not a wall.
The House bill that would have given him his required funds was a purely political gambit, in service of the inevitable blame game. Democrats in the Senate, sure of sentiment among the public and their political base, were never going to let it proceed. “This is something that is useless, it’s spectacle, it’s puerile,” Corker said.
Conservative Republicans welcomed the ensuing confrontation but most of the party wanted to avoid it, because polling shows the public oppose both the wall and a shutdown over it. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said: “This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one.” At the White House on Saturday, Trump ate lunch with rightwingers including House Freedom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio. No Republican leaders or Democrats, needed for any deal, attended the meal.
Democrats hold a trump card of their own – they will take control of the House in January. Nancy Pelosi of California, due to become speaker, said in a letter to colleagues on Saturday: “Until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government.” Trump will remain in Washington for Christmas, his Florida vacation cancelled, first lady Melania Trump forced to fly back into town. On Sunday he continued to use Twitter to claim the Democrats were to blame for a shutdown he said last week he wanted if his demands were not met.
Senate leader Chuck Schumer met Pence on Saturday at the request of the White House. Schumer’s spokesman said the two sides remained “very far apart”. Speaking on the Senate floor, the New York Democrat said the “Trump shutdown” could end immediately. The House bill that would have given him his required funds was a purely political gambit, in service of the inevitable blame game. Democrats in the Senate were never going to let it proceed.
Conservative Republicans welcomed the ensuing confrontation but most of the party wanted to avoid it, because polling shows the public oppose both the wall and a shutdown over it. On Saturday, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said: “This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one.”
But Democrats hold a trump card of their own: they will take control of the House in January. Nancy Pelosi of California, due to become speaker, said in a letter to colleagues on Saturday: “Until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government.”
Senate leader Chuck Schumer met Pence on Saturday. His spokesman said the two sides remained “very far apart”. Speaking on the Senate floor, the New York Democrat said the “Trump shutdown” could end immediately.
“If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall,” he said.“If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall,” he said.
Democrats have said they are open to budget proposals that do not include the wall, which they say would be costly and ineffective. The party has offered to keep spending at existing levels, $1.3bn, for border fencing and other security measures. Democrats have repeatedly said they are open to budget proposals that do not include the wall, which they say would be costly and ineffective. The party offered this week to keep spending at existing levels, $1.3bn, for fencing and other security measures.
Locked doors, cancelled tours: US national parks suffer amid shutdownLocked doors, cancelled tours: US national parks suffer amid shutdown
On those terms, earlier in the week, senators approved a bipartisan deal to keep the government open into the new year. Trump seemed set to approve but then backtracked, apparently under the influence of rightwing media furious at his abandonment of a key campaign pledge, if disregarding his repeated vows that Mexico, not the US taxpayer, would pay for his promised wall. Mulvaney appeared to agree with them on Sunday, saying: “The wall doesn’t solve all of our problems. A border fence does not solve all of our problems.” His remarks echoed comments from 2015, unearthed this week, in which the then South Carolina congressman said Trump’s wish for a border wall was “absurd and almost childish”.
Meanwhile, from coast to coast, the first day of the shutdown played out. In New York City the Statue of Liberty was still open, thanks to state money. The US Post Office, an independent agency, was still delivering mail. On those terms, earlier in the week, senators approved a deal to keep the government open. Trump seemed set to approve but then backtracked, apparently under the influence of rightwing media furious at his abandonment of a key campaign pledge, if disregarding his repeated vows that Mexico, not the US taxpayer, would pay.
Around 420,000 workers, deemed essential, were expected to work unpaid. An additional 380,000 were to stay home without pay. The Senate has passed legislation ensuring that workers will receive back pay. The House is likely to follow suit. Meanwhile, the shutdown played out. Around 420,000 essential workers were expected to work unpaid. An additional 380,000 were to stay home without pay. The Senate has passed legislation ensuring that workers will receive back pay. The House is likely to follow.
Trump had already declared Monday, Christmas Eve, a federal holiday. Rather than work around the clock, as in past shutdowns, the leaders of the House and the Senate effectively closed shop. But they did not rule out action if a deal were struck.Trump had already declared Monday, Christmas Eve, a federal holiday. Rather than work around the clock, as in past shutdowns, the leaders of the House and the Senate effectively closed shop. But they did not rule out action if a deal were struck.
In New York City, thanks to state funds, the Statue of Liberty was open. But in Washington, another highly symbolic attraction was closed. The National Christmas Tree, near the White House, was dark.
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