Parts of the US government began shutting down on Saturday for the third time this year as lawmakers fight over Trump’s border wall stalling spending talks.
The Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump’s demand for money to build a border wall.
Funding for numerous agencies, including those that operate parks, homeland security, law enforcement, tax collection and transportation ceased at 12:01 am Saturday (5:01 GMT).
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The failure of elected officials to keep the government fully operating will lead to around 800,000 workers work without pay and numerous services will be halted.
Trump had demanded $5 billion for his proposed wall along the border with Mexico. After the lawmakers failed to reach an agreement, the Republicans declined to pass a bill to keep the government running into February after the president threatened to veto it on Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average had one of its worst weeks in recent decades and has fallen almost 4,400 points, or 16 %, since October.
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About two hours before the shutdown was set to take effect, Trump posted a video on Twitter blaming Democrats for the lapse in government funding.
OUR GREAT COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY! pic.twitter.com/ZGcYygMf3a
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018
“We’re going to have a shutdown,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes. . . . Let’s be bipartisan, and let’s get it done. The shutdown hopefully will not last long.”
Trump was scheduled to fly to Florida on Friday for his Christmas break, but he postponed the trip to help salvage a deal.
( With agency inputs)