White House blasts Democrats for blocking spending bill while Schumer blames 'chaotic' Trump as potential deal falters and the country is plunged into crippling shutdown
Senate Republicans fell far short of passing a procedural motion that could have kept the federal government funded past midnight on Friday, failing to attract the 60 votes they needed and hurtling the nation toward a partial government shutdown
The federal government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday - halting all but the most essential operations and marring the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration in a striking display of Washington dysfunction.
Senate Republicans fell far short of passing a procedural motion that would have kept the federal
government funded, causing the fourth government shutdown in a quarter century. The final vote was 50-49.
Five Democrats who represent Trump-country red states crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans, but the GOP lost four of its own, erasing any doubts about the state of partisan bickering in the US Capitol.
While the clerk held the vote open – Republicans John McCain and Mitch McConnell refrained from voting so nothing could be finalized – a bipartisan group of 15 senators huddled on the Senate floor to discuss a path forward.
The recalcitrant Democrats included four who are up for re-election this year – Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri – along with Alabamian Doug Jones, who took his Senate seat just days ago in a bright red state.
Despite hours of attempted negotiations, talks failed and the shutdown was finalized, and quickly the blame game began.
Just after midnight on Saturday morning the White House released a statement, calling Democrats 'obstructionist losers' who 'put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country's ability to serve all Americans'.
'We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands. This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators,' the statement reads, before promising that during the shutdown Trump will continue to work for the American people.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sequestered themselves in a far-away corner, negotiating an endgame. The pair are pictured together Wednesday
While the clerk held the vote open – Republicans John McCain and Mitch McConnell refrained from voting so nothing could be finalized – a bipartisan group of 15 senators huddled on the Senate floor to discuss a path forward.
After dinner, President Donald Trump seemed resigned to presiding over the first shutdown since 2013
President Trump's latest tweet comes just hours after he attempted to stave off the shutdown when he met with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Friday evening. After the meeting he said he was 'making progress' on a deal to prevent the shutdown
Senate Republicans fell far short of passing a procedural motion that would have kept the federal
government funded, causing the fourth government shutdown in a quarter century. The final vote was 50-49.
Five Democrats who represent Trump-country red states crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans, but the GOP lost four of its own, erasing any doubts about the state of partisan bickering in the US Capitol.
While the clerk held the vote open – Republicans John McCain and Mitch McConnell refrained from voting so nothing could be finalized – a bipartisan group of 15 senators huddled on the Senate floor to discuss a path forward.
The recalcitrant Democrats included four who are up for re-election this year – Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri – along with Alabamian Doug Jones, who took his Senate seat just days ago in a bright red state.
Despite hours of attempted negotiations, talks failed and the shutdown was finalized, and quickly the blame game began.
Just after midnight on Saturday morning the White House released a statement, calling Democrats 'obstructionist losers' who 'put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country's ability to serve all Americans'.
'We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands. This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators,' the statement reads, before promising that during the shutdown Trump will continue to work for the American people.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sequestered themselves in a far-away corner, negotiating an endgame. The pair are pictured together Wednesday
While the clerk held the vote open – Republicans John McCain and Mitch McConnell refrained from voting so nothing could be finalized – a bipartisan group of 15 senators huddled on the Senate floor to discuss a path forward.
After dinner, President Donald Trump seemed resigned to presiding over the first shutdown since 2013
President Trump's latest tweet comes just hours after he attempted to stave off the shutdown when he met with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Friday evening. After the meeting he said he was 'making progress' on a deal to prevent the shutdown
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