US shutdown latest: White House officials due back in Senate after talks end in standoff

Alexandra Richards21 January 2018

White House officials are due back in the Senate to try to reach an agreement putting an end to the shutdown before the start of the working week.

Money for federal agencies technically ran out at midnight on Friday after government failed to agree on a vote that would have ensured stopgap funding.

It sparked a bitter blame game between sides over the Senate's failure to prevent the shutdown.

Rare weekend sessions were held on Saturday in the Senate and House of Representatives, but neither the Republicans nor the Democrats showed any sign of backing down.

Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after Congress failed to reach a deal on funding for federal agencies
REUTERS

Democrats demanded that any short-term legislation must include protections for young undocumented immigrants.

Republicans said they would negotiate on immigrations when the Democrats gave them the votes they need to reopen government.

By 7pm both chambers accepted that a compromise could not be reached and agreed to resume work towards reopening the government on Sunday.

In terms of the immediate impact of the shutdown, federally funded operations did not open their doors on Saturday.

A closure sign stands outside of the Library of Congress in Washington
AP

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island turned away visitors in New York due to what the National Park Service described as "a lapse in appropriations," a bureaucratic term for a lack of money.

In Philadelphia, crowds of tourists have been told that Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed, and the Liberty Bell were closed.

Almost half the two million civilian federal workers will be barred from doing their jobs if the shutdown extends into Monday putting on hold a swath of government functions.

At the Internal Revenue Service, more than half of the 80,565 employees will be barred from working just as tax filing season is beginning and the agency is dealing with the sweeping changes made by the new GOP tax law.

There were few signs of shutdown in Washington, where lawmakers spent most of the day making speeches about the dispute.

A women's march carried on as planned, under the eye of US Park Police protection.

Vice President Mike Pence did not reschedule a visit to the Middle East, the administration labelling the trip "integral" to U.S. national security and diplomacy.

President Trump’s trip to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum hangs in the balance as the dispute continues.

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters Friday that a shuttering of the government would "look very different" from the 16-day government closure in 2013 under President Barack Obama.

He said the previous administration "weaponised" the government shutdown in budget negotiations and did not encourage agencies to lessen the impact with unobligated funds. He said: "They chose to make it worse."

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