First day of US govt shutdown ends in standoff

Washington, January 21

President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers were locked in a standoff with Democrats on Saturday over the US government shutdown, with Republicans saying they would not negotiate on immigration until the government is reopened.

Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight with no agreement in Congress, meaning the second year of Trump’s presidency began without a fully functioning government.

Democrats stuck to demands that any short-term spending legislation must include protections for young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers.” Republicans in turn said they would not negotiate on immigration until Democrats gave them the votes needed to reopen the government.

US government workers were told to stay home or, in some cases, work without pay until new funding is approved in the first federal government shutdown since a 16-day funding lapse in October 2013.

The Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives held rare weekend sessions on Saturday, facing a political crisis that could affect November congressional elections. But both chambers resigned themselves to failure.

Both Republicans and Democrats had dug in during the day, each side blaming the other. — PTI