Shutdown day 1: Trump warns it could be a ‘long stay’ amid impasse over border wall
- Partial shutdown starts after Trump torpedoed a bipartisan deal that would have kept the government open through February 8
- Trump was demanding billions of dollars to build a wall along the US-Mexico border
The Capitol was quiet on Saturday morning in the opening hours of a partial government shutdown, after lawmakers went home on Friday evening with the government still at an impasse over President Donald Trump’s demands for billions of dollars to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
Both the House and Senate opened at noon Saturday, but there were no signs of progress in negotiations, which have only been happening at the staff level since a brief huddle late Friday afternoon with Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Few lawmakers were in the Capitol building Saturday morning, and no votes were scheduled in either chamber. Many lawmakers took off Friday night to return to their homes as they await word of the talks, having been assured that they will get 24 hours notice before any vote occurs to reopen government.
That all but guarantees the shutdown will last at least through the weekend.
Trump wrote on Twitter that “We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security … but it could be a long stay.”
And indeed, the fundamental stalemate remains in place: Trump says he won’t accept legislation unless it contains money for his border wall, and Democrats have the votes to block any legislation that does. Trump sees this round of negotiations as his best – and possibly last – chance to get money from Congress for the wall, as Democrats are set to take over the House in January after big wins in the midterm elections.