#TrumpShutdown Begins

Donald Trump

From The New York Times:

The federal government shut down early Saturday after congressional and White House officials failed to find a compromise on a spending bill that hinged on President Trump’s demands for $5.7 billion for a border wall.

It is the third shutdown in two years of unified Republican rule in Washington, and it will stop work at nine federal departments and several other agencies. Hundreds of thousands of government employees are affected.

Any hope of a compromise ended about 8:30 p.m. Friday, when both the House and the Senate had adjourned with no solution in sight. Talks are expected to begin again on Saturday.

A burst of late-afternoon activity could not break the deadlock, even as Vice President Mike Pence met with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, and senior House Republicans, searching for a solution to a logjam that Mr. Trump has shown little interest in breaking.

The partial shutdown sends about 380,000 workers home without pay.

Another 420,000 deemed too essential to be furloughed will be forced to work without pay. These federal employees include the Border Patrol officers Trump pretends to appreciate so much.

If @realDonaldTrump & Republicans choose to continue this #TrumpShutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government in January.

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) December 22, 2018