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| Government shutdown: Trump attacks Democrats and calls for 'nuclear option' | Government shutdown: Trump attacks Democrats and calls for 'nuclear option' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Trump ad: Democrats ‘complicit’ in murders by immigrants | Trump ad: Democrats ‘complicit’ in murders by immigrants |
| Senate vote on funding measure to 8 February due by 1am Monday | Senate vote on funding measure to 8 February due by 1am Monday |
| Opinion: This is how democracies die | Opinion: This is how democracies die |
| Oliver Laughland and | Oliver Laughland and |
| Martin Pengelly in New York and | Martin Pengelly in New York and |
| Sabrina Siddiqui and | Sabrina Siddiqui and |
| Ben Jacobs in Washington | Ben Jacobs in Washington |
| Sun 21 Jan 2018 21.41 GMT | |
| First published on Sun 21 Jan 2018 13.17 GMT | First published on Sun 21 Jan 2018 13.17 GMT |
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| As the second day of the US government shutdown wore on, there appeared little sign of progress. As both parties blamed each other, the White House went on the attack. | As the second day of the US government shutdown wore on, there appeared little sign of progress. As both parties blamed each other, the White House went on the attack. |
| Donald Trump used Twitter to urge Senate Republicans to end the impasse by taking the “nuclear option” if the “stalemate continues”. | Donald Trump used Twitter to urge Senate Republicans to end the impasse by taking the “nuclear option” if the “stalemate continues”. |
| Such a move would allow Republicans to pass legislation without Democratic support, lowering the majority needed to pass a bill to 51 votes. It is however not favoured by the GOP Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, who would in any case not have had enough votes to avert the shutdown on his own. | |
| The president also argued that Democrats were placing the nation’s borders under threat by opposing a short-term budget fix. “The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked,” he tweeted. | |
| When the US Congress fails to pass appropriate funding for government operations and agencies, a shutdown is triggered. Most government services are frozen, barring those that are deemed “essential”, such as the work of the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. During a shutdown, nearly 40% of the government workforce is placed on unpaid furlough and told not to work. Many, but not all, are non-defense federal employees. Active duty military personnel are not furloughed. | When the US Congress fails to pass appropriate funding for government operations and agencies, a shutdown is triggered. Most government services are frozen, barring those that are deemed “essential”, such as the work of the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. During a shutdown, nearly 40% of the government workforce is placed on unpaid furlough and told not to work. Many, but not all, are non-defense federal employees. Active duty military personnel are not furloughed. |
| Members of Congress are at an impasse over what should be included in a spending bill to keep the government open. Democrats have insisted any compromise must also include protections for the nearly 700,000 young, undocumented immigrants, known as Dreamers, who were brought to the US as children. | Members of Congress are at an impasse over what should be included in a spending bill to keep the government open. Democrats have insisted any compromise must also include protections for the nearly 700,000 young, undocumented immigrants, known as Dreamers, who were brought to the US as children. |
| The Dreamers, who were granted temporary legal status under Barack Obama, were newly exposed to the threat of deportation when Donald Trump moved to rescind their protections in September. | The Dreamers, who were granted temporary legal status under Barack Obama, were newly exposed to the threat of deportation when Donald Trump moved to rescind their protections in September. |
| Trump and Republicans have argued immigration is a separate issue and can be dealt with at a later time. | Trump and Republicans have argued immigration is a separate issue and can be dealt with at a later time. |
| There have been 12 government shutdowns in the US since 1981, although ranging in duration. The longest occurred under Bill Clinton, lasting a total of 21 days from December 1995 to January 1996, when the then House speaker, Newt Gingrich, demanded sharp cuts to government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and welfare. | There have been 12 government shutdowns in the US since 1981, although ranging in duration. The longest occurred under Bill Clinton, lasting a total of 21 days from December 1995 to January 1996, when the then House speaker, Newt Gingrich, demanded sharp cuts to government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and welfare. |
| The most recent shutdown transpired under Obama in 2013, pitting the president against the Republican-led House of Representatives. Republicans refused to support a spending bill that included funding for Obama’s healthcare law, resulting in a 16-day shutdown that at its peak affected 850,000 federal employees. | The most recent shutdown transpired under Obama in 2013, pitting the president against the Republican-led House of Representatives. Republicans refused to support a spending bill that included funding for Obama’s healthcare law, resulting in a 16-day shutdown that at its peak affected 850,000 federal employees. |
| A government shutdown would cost the US roughly $6.5bn a week, according to a report by S&P Global analysts. “A disruption in government spending means no government paychecks to spend; lost business and revenue to private contractors; lost sales at retail shops, particularly those that circle now-closed national parks; and less tax revenue for Uncle Sam,” the report stated. “That means less economic activity and fewer jobs.” | A government shutdown would cost the US roughly $6.5bn a week, according to a report by S&P Global analysts. “A disruption in government spending means no government paychecks to spend; lost business and revenue to private contractors; lost sales at retail shops, particularly those that circle now-closed national parks; and less tax revenue for Uncle Sam,” the report stated. “That means less economic activity and fewer jobs.” |
| Nearly 1 million people would not receive regular paychecks in the event of a shutdown. In previous shutdowns, furloughed employees have been paid retrospectively – but those payments have often been delayed. | Nearly 1 million people would not receive regular paychecks in the event of a shutdown. In previous shutdowns, furloughed employees have been paid retrospectively – but those payments have often been delayed. |
| Sabrina Siddiqui | Sabrina Siddiqui |
| The remarks followed an aggressive Trump campaign ad released on Saturday, which said Democrats opposing the president’s hardline immigration agenda were “complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants”. | The remarks followed an aggressive Trump campaign ad released on Saturday, which said Democrats opposing the president’s hardline immigration agenda were “complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants”. |
| Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, told NBC’s Meet the Press “that ad was produced by an outside group and not those of us in the White House”. | Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, told NBC’s Meet the Press “that ad was produced by an outside group and not those of us in the White House”. |
| The ad concludes with a picture of the president giving two thumbs up and his voice saying: “I’m Donald Trump and I approve this message.” | The ad concludes with a picture of the president giving two thumbs up and his voice saying: “I’m Donald Trump and I approve this message.” |
| The Vermont senator Bernie Sanders told CNN’s State of the Union the ad was “nonsense and outrageous”. | The Vermont senator Bernie Sanders told CNN’s State of the Union the ad was “nonsense and outrageous”. |
| Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, supports efforts to tie government funding to renewed protections for Dreamers, young undocumented migrants whose temporary legal status was rescinded by Trump. | Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, supports efforts to tie government funding to renewed protections for Dreamers, young undocumented migrants whose temporary legal status was rescinded by Trump. |
| Republicans have argued that as Trump set a March deadline for a resolution to the Dreamers issue, negotiations can continue after government funding is passed. | Republicans have argued that as Trump set a March deadline for a resolution to the Dreamers issue, negotiations can continue after government funding is passed. |
| Although the president remained in Washington, missing a gala event at his Florida resort to celebrate his first year in office, he faced criticism for failing to lead. | |
| News shows repeated Fox & Friends footage from 2013, when Republicans in Congress drove the last government shutdown, over healthcare reform. | News shows repeated Fox & Friends footage from 2013, when Republicans in Congress drove the last government shutdown, over healthcare reform. |
| “Well, if you say who gets fired it always has to be the top,” Trump said then. “I mean, problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president’s the leader. And he’s got to get everybody in a room and he’s got to lead.” | “Well, if you say who gets fired it always has to be the top,” Trump said then. “I mean, problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president’s the leader. And he’s got to get everybody in a room and he’s got to lead.” |
| On Saturday the White House released a photograph of the president sitting alone in the Oval Office, wearing a white Make America Great Again cap as he purportedly received “the latest updates from Capitol Hill”. | |
| The Senate needs to lead because no one else is and the White House staff is making things very difficult | The Senate needs to lead because no one else is and the White House staff is making things very difficult |
| It was later reported that Trump had not made contact with the Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, since a lunch on Friday. | |
| Schumer said on Saturday that working with Trump was like “negotiating with Jell-O”. In a speech in the Senate on Sunday, the New Yorker said he had “essentially agreed to give the president something he wants” – funding for a border wall – “for something we both want”, status for Dreamers. | |
| It was now up to the president, he said, to end what he repeatedly called “the Trump shutdown”. | |
| White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Schumer’s “memory is hazy because his account of Friday’s meeting is false”. | |
| After initially ignoring questions about the president’s Sunday schedule, Sanders also said Trump had spoken to Kevin McCarthy and John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republicans in the House and Senate. Chief of staff John Kelly spoke to McConnell and Ryan and “updated the president on those calls”, Sanders said. | |
| McConnell aimed to schedule for the early hours of Monday another vote on short-term funding, to reopen the government until 8 February. | McConnell aimed to schedule for the early hours of Monday another vote on short-term funding, to reopen the government until 8 February. |
| Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, said the lower chamber would accept the 8 February measure. The chairman of the hard right House Freedom Caucus signaled that his members would also support it. | Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, said the lower chamber would accept the 8 February measure. The chairman of the hard right House Freedom Caucus signaled that his members would also support it. |
| House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said Democrats were seeking a commitment that a bill to reopen the government would establish parity between defense and domestic spending and would be followed by debate on immigration. | |
| In the Senate, a spokesman said Schumer had only spoken with McConnell for a matter of minutes. Party moderates convened their own meeting, outside which the South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham predicted a “breakthrough”. | In the Senate, a spokesman said Schumer had only spoken with McConnell for a matter of minutes. Party moderates convened their own meeting, outside which the South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham predicted a “breakthrough”. |
| “The Senate needs to lead,” Graham said, “because no one else is and the White House staff is making things very difficult.” | “The Senate needs to lead,” Graham said, “because no one else is and the White House staff is making things very difficult.” |
| Graham said White House proposals for spending on border security were “just not credible” and referred to a senior policy adviser to Trump and immigration hardliner when he said: “As long as Stephen Miller’s in charge of negotiating on immigration we’re going nowhere. He’s been an outlier for years.” | |
| The shutdown began at midnight on Friday, after Senate Democrats derailed a House-passed funding measure that would have run through 16 February. | The shutdown began at midnight on Friday, after Senate Democrats derailed a House-passed funding measure that would have run through 16 February. |
| They did so by preventing Republicans reaching the 60-vote tally that means blocking mechanisms cannot be used. Five red-state Democrats voted for the funding measure but a handful of Republicans opposed it. | |
| The Kentucky senator Rand Paul, a Republican who voted no, bemoaned to CNN on Sunday “gamesmanship and partisanship” on both sides of the aisle. | |
| Nonetheless the White House continued to lead the charge. Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, supported the president’s call for Senate Republicans to exercise the “nuclear option” if the standoff continued, and said Democrats were “dysfunctional”. | Nonetheless the White House continued to lead the charge. Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, supported the president’s call for Senate Republicans to exercise the “nuclear option” if the standoff continued, and said Democrats were “dysfunctional”. |
| The public will not feel the full effect of the shutdown until the work week begins on Monday. Non-essential federal workers are likely to be told to take unpaid leave. | The public will not feel the full effect of the shutdown until the work week begins on Monday. Non-essential federal workers are likely to be told to take unpaid leave. |
| National parks remained open although in New York City the Statue of Liberty was closed. Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would seek funding to have it reopened. | |
| US politics | US politics |
| Trump administration | Trump administration |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Democrats | Democrats |
| Republicans | Republicans |
| US Congress | US Congress |
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