No wall, no deal, says US VP Pence on govt shutdown

United States Vice President Pence on Thursday announced that President Donald Trump will not support any deal to reopen the government without receiving money for his proposed border wall.

During a 45-minute press briefing in the Capitol, Pence said, "Walls work. It's not a debatable point. No wall, no deal. Because walls work," reported The Hill.

This statement by the Vice President is a clear indication that the partial government shutdown is headed into its fourth week this weekend.

Pence, who was accompanied by White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway and acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, also revealed that Trump believes he has an "absolute right" to declare a national emergency at the border.

He further stated that imposing emergency would also allow him to shift military construction money from the Pentagon to help pay for Trump's border wall without congressional approval.

Clarifying that Trump is yet to decide whether he will pursue that route, Pence asked the Congress to approve the fund for the wall.

Calling on the Congress to approve the 5.7 billion USD in funding for the Mexico wall or steel barrier, Pence said, "Our conviction is that Congress should do its job.