US Govt partial shutdown to extend into next week as Trump, Congress negotiations on border wall fail

After meeting for just a few minutes following the official Christmas break, a near to empty Senate adjourned, deciding to renew budget deliberations only next Wednesday, the last day of the current Republican-controlled Congress.

US President Donald Trump (Image: AFP)

Washington: The US government partial shutdown was set to extend into next week after legislators on Thursday failed to draw a consensus over President Donald Trump's demand for a border wall with Mexico. After meeting for just a few minutes following the official Christmas break, a near to empty Senate adjourned, deciding to renew budget deliberations only next Wednesday, the last day of the current Republican-controlled Congress. That would take the government shutdown, already on its sixth day, into 12. Both sides held their ground, with Democrats refusing to provide USD 5 billion for Trump's border wall project and the president insisting he will not fully fund the government unless he gets the money. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Democrats of "openly choosing to keep our government closed to protect illegal immigrants rather than the American people." She said Trump "will not sign a proposal that does not first prioritize our country's safety and security." As long as the wall debate holds up approval of a wider spending bill, about 800,000 federal employees are not getting salaries and non-essential parts of the government are unable to function. Trump made clear he does not intend to give way first. In a tweet Thursday, he once more accused Democrats of wanting to encourage illegal immigrants, "an Open Southern Border and the large scale crime that comes with such stupidity!" "Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country," he said in another tweet, also lambasting "Democrat obstruction of the needed Wall."