US government partially shuts down amid deadlock over Trump's border wall demands
tehran (KNA) - The US government has partially shutdown after Republican lawmakers in the Senate failed to gain enough votes to approve $5 billion that President Donald Trump wants for a wall on the US-Mexico border fiercely opposed by Democrats in Congress.
Frantic negotiations by lawmakers at both chambers of Congress on Friday failed to reach a deal, sending parts of the federal government into paralysis at midnight.
The shutdown was the latest evidence of dysfunction in Washington and does not bode well for next year, when Democrats will have a stronger hand as they take control of the House of Representatives.
Trump sought to blame Democrats for the shutdown, who responded by reminding him that he said last week he would be "proud" to shut down key parts of the federal government in order to get funding for the wall.
Trump also warned of "a very long" government shutdown in a tweet on Friday, and described it as "great."
"President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening toward a 'Trump shutdown' over Christmas," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Talks between Trump's team and leaders of both political parties in Congress to resolve the crisis were expected to continue over the weekend.
Source: PressTV