Page 2 - Us Government Shutdown

Republican leaders reject Trump's demands to scrap Senate filibuster

Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump threw himself into the shutdown debate, calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government, an idea swiftly rejected Friday by Republican leaders who have long opposed such a move. Trump pushed his Republican Party to get rid of the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to overcome objections and gives the minority Democrats a check on GOP power. In the chamber that's currently split, 53-47, Democrats have had enough votes to keep the government closed while they demand an extension of health care subsidies. Neither party has seriously wanted to nuke the rule. THE CHOICE IS CLEAR INITIATE THE NUCLEAR OPTION,' GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER, Trump said in a late night social media post Thursday. Trump's sudden decision to assert himself into the shutdown now in its 31st day bringing the highly charged demand to end the filibuster is certain to set the Senate on edge. It could spur senators toward their own compromise or

'America First' Trump loved Asia trip despite mounting troubles at home

For an America First president, Donald Trump seemed to love his whirlwind five days skipping across Asia a reflection of a White House that is increasingly focused on the rest of the world. When Trump stepped off Air Force One on Sunday for his first stop in Malaysia, he danced with local performers who had greeted him on the red carpet. In Japan, he helicoptered to a mammoth aircraft carrier for a speech with the country's prime minister. And South Korea gave him a gold medal and crown as gifts. Back home in Washington, the federal government was shut down as Trump's poll numbers remain low, and it's unclear how much Trump's trip will resonate with voters consumed by other concerns at home. Yet on the last night of his trip, Trump was overheard at a state dinner talking about how much he enjoyed meetings with his foreign counterparts. That was a great meeting, Trump said. They're all great meetings. This was a great meeting. We had a fantastic meeting. Had a president who once u

US troops to be paid despite shutdown, says Vance, seeks Democrats' backing

Vice President JD Vance said he believes US military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration will reconfigure funding as pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide. The funding fight in Washington gained new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans. We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now, Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. We've got food stamp benefits that are set to run out in a week. We're trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need the Democrats to actually help us out. The vice president reaffirmed Republicans' strategy of trying to pick off a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government. But nearly a month into the shutdown, it hasn't worked. .

US judge blocks Trump admin from firing workers during govt shutdown

A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated. US District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday. Illston, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, has said she believes the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and in excess of authority. Federal agencies are enjoined from issuing layoff notices or acting on notices issued since the government shut down October 1. Illston said that her order does not apply to notices sent before the shutdown. The Republican administration has slashed jobs in education, health and other areas it says are

Trump admin halts federal food aid from November 1 amid govt shutdown

The US Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out November 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly USD 5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That programme helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. Bottom line, the well has run dry, the USDA notice says. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. The shutdown, which began October 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans and some of those most in need unless a

Who is Timothy Mellon, Trump's secret ally funding US troops amid shutdown?

Billionaire heir and reclusive Trump donor Timothy Mellon has been revealed as the anonymous benefactor funding US troop salaries during the ongoing federal government shutdown

Pentagon accepts $130 mn donation to help pay US army during govt shutdown

The Pentagon confirmed that it has accepted an anonymous USD 130 million gift to help pay members of the military during the government shutdown, raising ethical questions after President Donald Trump had announced that a friend had offered the gift to defray any shortfalls. While large and unusual, the gift amounts to a small contribution toward the billions needed to cover service member paychecks. The Trump administration told Congress last week that it used USD 6.5 billion to make payroll. The next payday is coming within the week, and it is unclear if the administration will again move money around to ensure the military does not go without compensation. That's what I call a patriot, Trump said during a White House event Thursday when he disclosed the payment from the donor. The president declined to name the person, whom he called a friend of mine, saying the man didn't want the recognition. The Pentagon confirmed it had accepted the donation on Thursday under its general gif

US govt shutdown means no inflation data next month for 1st time in decades

The government shutdown likely means there won't be an inflation report next month for the first time in more than seven decades, the White House said Friday, leaving Wall Street and the Federal Reserve without crucial information about consumer prices. Because surveyors cannot deploy to the field, the White House has learned there will likely NOT be an inflation release next month for the first time in history, the Trump administration said in an email. Some of the inflation data is collected electronically, but most is gathered in person by government employees who visit stores across the country. The Bureau of Labour Statistics, which prepares the inflation report, has already reduced the data collected each month because the Trump administration's hiring freeze left some cities without surveyors. The announcement follows Friday's release of September inflation data, which showed prices ticked higher but remained lower than many economists had expected. That report, which was ...

US warns flight delays may worsen as government shutdown enters 23rd day

Air traffic control has become a flashpoint in the debate over the shutdown with both parties blaming the other. Unions and airlines have urged a quick end to the standoff

Senate Republicans head to White House amid stalemate on shutdown

As the government shutdown enters its fourth week, Senate Republicans are headed to the White House on Tuesday not for urgent talks on how to end it, but for a display of unity with President Donald Trump as they refuse to negotiate on any Democratic demands. Senate Democrats, too, are confident in their strategy to keep voting against a House-passed bill that would reopen the government until Republicans, including Trump, engage them on extending health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year. With both sides showing no signs of movement, it's unclear how long the stalemate will last even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers will miss another paycheck in the coming days and states are sounding warnings that key federal programmes will soon lapse completely. And the meeting at the White House appears unlikely, for now, to lead to a bipartisan resolution as Senate Republicans are dug in and Trump has followed their lead. I think the president's ready to get involv

US nuclear security agency furloughs 1,400 workers amid govt shutdown

The federal agency tasked with overseeing the US nuclear stockpile has begun furloughing employees as part of the ongoing federal government shutdown, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday. In a visit to Nevada, Wright said the National Nuclear Security Administration is furloughing 1,400 federal workers as part of the shutdown, which began October 1. Nearly 400 federal workers will remain on the job, along with thousands of NNSA contractors, the Energy Department said. The NNSA, a semi-autonomous branch of the Energy Department, also works to secure nuclear materials around the world. Tough day today," Wright said in Las Vegas before a scheduled visit to the Nevada National Security Site in Mercury, Nevada. We're working hard to protect everyone's jobs and keep our national stockpile secure, Wright said. The furloughs do not pose an immediate threat to national security, Wright said, adding, "We have emergency employees and the current nuclear stockpile is safe. President .

We're closing up Democrat programmes, says Trump amid ongoing govt shutdown

Earlier on Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget said it would continue to "ride out" the shutdown with additional reductions in force, or RIFs

Trump admin begins mass federal layoffs, escalating US govt shutdown fight

The administration plans to slash at least 4,100 workers from the government during the shutdown, according to newly filed court documents

US weekly jobless claims rise amid govt shutdown, economists estimate

Official economic data collection and publication has been suspended because of the government shutdown, now in its second week

Trump's ratings steady as US government shutdown drags into second week

Trump's net approval on the four issues tracked by Silver are -4.7 on immigration, -15.3 on the economy, -15.6 on trade and -27.4 on inflation

US govt shutdown grinds into second week, but quiet talks emerging

Tours at the Capitol have come to a standstill. The House is keeping its doors closed, while the Senate is stuck in a loop of failed votes on a rejected plan to reopen the government. President Donald Trump is threatening to mass fire federal workers and refuse back pay for the rest. As the government shutdown enters a second week, there's no discernible endgame in sight. You have to negotiate, Sen Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, argued late into the evening on the Senate floor. That's the way it works. But no negotiations, at least publicly, are underway. Shutdown grinds on, but signs of quiet talks The Republicans who have majority control in Congress believe they have the upper hand politically, as they fend off Democratic demands to quickly fund health insurance subsidies as part of any plan to end the shutdown. But so have Democrats dug in, convinced that Americans are on their side in the fight to prevent the looming health care price spikes and blaming Trump

Staffing shortages cause US flight delays as govt shutdown enters day 7

Staffing shortages led to more flight delays at airports across the US on Tuesday as the federal government shutdown stretched into a seventh day, while union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners warned the situation was likely to get worse. The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centres in Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities. Major flight delays a day earlier also were tied to insufficient staffing during the shutdown, which began October 1. The FAA reported delays on Monday at the airports in Burbank, California, Newark, New Jersey and Denver. Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said the risk of significant disruptions to the US aviation system is growing by the day" as federal workers whose jobs are deemed critical continue working without pay. The .

Trump blames Democrats for federal layoffs as govt shutdown enters day 6

Republican and Democratic lawmakers at an impasse on reopening the federal government provided few public signs Sunday of meaningful negotiations taking place to end what is about to be a six-day shutdown with President Donald Trump saying that layoffs are occurring. Asked on Sunday night when federal workers would be fired as he has threatened to do, Trump told reporters: It's taking place right now and it's all because of the Democrats. The Democrats are causing the loss of a lot of jobs, Trump added, declining to answer a question about which agencies are subject to the cuts. The possibility of layoffs would escalate an already tense situation in which Washington lawmakers have struggled to find common ground and build mutual trust. Leaders in both parties are betting that public sentiment has swung their way, putting pressure on the other side to cave. Democrats are insisting on renewing subsidies to cover health insurance costs for millions of households, while Trump wants to

Trump marks Navy's 250th anniversary with rally-like event amid shutdown

President Donald Trump did not let the government shutdown interfere with a stop in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday to salute the Navy as it celebrates its 250th anniversary using his speech to praise both the Navy and himself. Trump delivered remarks that by his own recognition bordered on making it more like a campaign event, generating some applause from the crowd before closing out with a recording of his theme song, YMCA by Village People. Let's face it, this is a rally, Trump told the crowd that the Navy estimated to be 10,000 people. The president criticised his political opponents and attacked Democratic lawmakers as the shutdown entered its fifth day, causing military personnel to work without pay until the government reopens. I want you to know that despite the current Democrat induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny. Don't worry about it," Trump said to cheers from the crowd. The government shutdown that began Wednesday has sparked partisan blam

US govt shutdown drags on as Senate funding vote fails to break deadlock

Hopes for a quick end to the government shutdown faded Friday as Democrats refused to budge in a Senate vote and President Donald Trump readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government. On the third day of the shutdown, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government fell well short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. Senators were expected to depart for the weekend, and there have been few signs of any real progress towards ending the congressional standoff. Democrats are demanding that Congress extend healthcare benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day after day of voting on the House-passed bill that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels. I don't know how many times you're going to give them a chance to vote no, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at a news conference Friday. He added that he would give Democratic senators the weekend to