Christmas is over, but President Trump’s government shutdown is just getting started

So far, the public and federal workers have largely been spared inconvenience and hardship because of the public holidays

Trump said the closed parts of the government will remain that way until Democrats agree to wall off the US-Mexico border

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The White House is shown during a partial shutdown of the federal government. Photo: Tribune News Service

Published: 2:36pm, 26 Dec 2018Updated: 9:06pm, 26 Dec 2018

Christmas has come and gone but the partial US government shutdown is just getting started.

Wednesday brings the first full business day after several government departments and agencies closed up over the weekend due to a budgetary stalemate between President Donald Trump and Congress. And there is no end in sight.

So far, the public and federal workers have largely been spared inconvenience and hardship because government is closed on weekends and federal employees were excused from work on Christmas Eve and Christmas, a federal holiday. The shutdown began at midnight last Friday.

Trump said on Tuesday that the closed parts of the government will remain that way until Democrats agree to wall off the US-Mexico border to deter criminal elements. He said he is open to calling the wall something else as long as he ends up with an actual wall.