Senate, House adjourned as US govt set to shutdown

A partial government shutdown is imminent as the United States House of Representatives and Senate was adjourned for the evening, as President Donald Trump and lawmakers remain at odds over border wall funding.

Although negotiations are underway in Congress to reach an agreement in an aim to prevent a government shutdown, virtually, there is no chance that a vote will take place on Friday night (local time).

On December 6, the Congress approved a two-week stopgap funding bill to keep the government agencies, including Homeland Security and State Department running to prevent a partial government shutdown till December 21. With the deadline fast approaching, this would be the first time in 40 years that the US government will have been closed three times in a year, CNN reported.

Before adjournment, the Senate passed a bill to ensure federal employees who were granted leave of absence to get their back pay.

Earlier, Trump stated that he is prepared for a long government shutdown over funding for his proposed border wall. Placing blame on the Democrats, Trump tweeted, "Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!"

The Democrats in the House have vowed not to support a bill that includes funding for Trump's border wall, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown on Friday midnight.

After assuming office in January last year, Trump had signed an executive order that initiated the process of building a wall on the US-Mexico border. The Democrats and some Republicans do not support Trump's agenda on building the wall and have urged US president to work with Congress on reforming the American immigration system.