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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 27 december 2018

Trump signals no end to shutdown: ‘You have to have a wall’

Continued from Front week, when the Senate on Saturday — the third of
approved a bipartisan 2018 — caused a lapse in
While the White House deal keeping government funding for nine of 15 Cab-
was talking to congres- open into February. That inet-level departments and
sional Democrats — and bill provided $1.3 billion for dozens of agencies, includ-
staff talks continued on border security projects but ing the departments of
Capitol Hill — negotiations not money for the wall. At Homeland Security, Trans-
dragged Wednesday, Trump’s urging, the House portation, Interior, Agricul-
dimming hopes for a swift approved that package ture, State and Justice.
breakthrough. and inserted the $5.7 billion Roughly 420,000 workers
With no deal at hand, mem- he had requested. were deemed essential
bers of the House were told On Friday afternoon, a and were working unpaid,
there would be no votes Senate procedural vote while another 380,000
on Thursday, assuring the showed that Republicans were furloughed, meaning
shutdown would last yet lacked the 60 votes they’d they’ll stay home without
another day. Lawmakers A tourist is reflected in a window of the closed building housing need to force the mea- pay. The shutdown com-
are away from Washington the Liberty Bell, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. The sure with the wall funding plicates things for essential
for the holidays and have building is closed due to the partial government shutdown. through their chamber. employees who planned
been told they will have 24 Associated Press That jump-started nego- trips for the holidays: Ac-
hours’ notice before hav- the talks, said the president But he added of Demo- tiations between Congress cording to the Office of Per-
ing to return. The Senate is “is very firm in his resolve crats: “If they believe that and the White House, but sonnel Management rules,
slated to come into session that we need to secure this president is going to the deadline came and employees deemed essen-
Thursday afternoon. our border.” He told CNN, yield on this particular issue, went without a deal. tial or otherwise exempted
Rep. Mark Meadows of “I don’t know that there’s they’re misreading him.” Senate Minority Leader from their respective agen-
North Carolina, a Trump ally a lot of progress that has The impasse over govern- Charles Schumer of New cy furloughs can’t take any
who has been involved in been made today.” ment funding began last York on Saturday said fund- vacation or sick days.
ing for Trump’s wall will Those being furloughed
“never pass the Senate.” include 52,000 workers at
“So President Trump, if you the Internal Revenue Ser-
want to open the govern- vice and nearly everyone
ment, you must abandon at NASA. About 8 in 10
the wall, plain and simple,” employees of the National
Schumer said. Park Service are staying
House Minority Leader home, and many parks
Nancy Pelosi is in lockstep have closed.
with Schumer against the Roughly 44,000 U.S. Coast
wall funding. If the shut- Guard employees are con-
down continues into 2019, sidered essential, and will
she has vowed that her report to work this week
new Democratic majority without pay, with anoth-
will act quickly to pass leg- er 6,000 furloughed. The
islation reopening the gov- Coast Guard is the only
ernment. arm of the military affected
The shutdown has been by the shutdown because
playing out against the it is funded through the De-
backdrop of turmoil in the partment of Homeland Se-
stock market, which is hav- curity. The shutdown didn’t
ing a roller-coaster week. stop people from visiting
Kevin Hassett, the chair- the White Sands National
man of the White House’s Monument in southern New
Council of Economic Ad- Mexico, where hundreds of
visers, said the shutdown unauthorized visitors have
does not change the ad- in recent days climbed
ministration’s expectation over a fence to enter the
for strong growth heading monument, according
into 2019. He told reporters to The Alamogordo Daily
a shutdown of a few weeks News. State highway work-
is not going to have any ers were sent to the area
“significant effect on the Monday to erect “no park-
outlook.” ing” signs along U.S. 70 out-
The shutdown that began side the monument.q