US government shutdown: Republicans reap what they sow (The Guardian)

The United States has its first government shutdown in nearly five years after senators failed to reach a deal to keep the lights on.

An effort by Republicans to keep the government open for one month was rejected in a vote on Friday night after they failed to address Democratic concerns about young undocumented migrants known as Dreamers.

Republicans needed 60 votes to pass the bill. Five red-state Democrats supported it while four Republicans voted against and 12am ET came and went without a deal, causing funding for the federal government to lapse.

Federal law requires agencies to shut down if Congress has not appropriated money to fund them. Hundreds of thousands of “non-essential” federal employees will be put on temporary unpaid leave. In previous shutdowns, services deemed “essential”, such as the work of the homeland security and the FBI, have continued.

On Saturday morning, Donald Trump greeted the news with a typical flurry of tweets. “This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency,” he wrote, “and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown.”

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said later Trump will not negotiate immigration policy with Congress until the shutdown ends.

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/20/us-government-faces-shutdown-after-senate-rejects-funding-bill