US Government Shutdown Looms as Trump and Democrats End Meeting Without Deal
A last-ditch meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders in Congress ended without a deal on Monday night, leaving the US government teetering on the brink of a shutdown.
The White House meeting, which was held at the president's request, made little progress towards resolving the impasse over funding for various government agencies. According to sources, both sides dug deeper into their positions, with no signs of compromise.
"We're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing," Vice President Mike Pence told reporters after the meeting. "You don't put a gun to the American people's head and say, 'Unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we're going to shut down your government'."
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer countered that there were still "very large differences" between his party and the White House.
The meeting came after President Trump posted a video on social media late Monday night, which mocked Democratic leadership. The video depicted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dressed in a suit with a fake mustache, among other caricatures.
Background context suggests that the impasse over funding for various government agencies has been ongoing for weeks. Democrats have insisted on including provisions related to border security and protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, while Republicans have pushed for stricter immigration policies and more funding for the military.
Additional perspectives from lawmakers suggest that both sides are dug in and unwilling to budge. "This is a classic case of 'my way or the highway'," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). "We're not going to compromise on our values just to avoid a shutdown."
The current status is that the government's funding deadline is Tuesday night, and it appears unlikely that a deal will be reached in time. If no agreement is made, hundreds of thousands of federal employees could face furloughs or layoffs.
As the clock ticks down, lawmakers are preparing for the worst. "We're doing everything we can to avoid a shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). "But if it happens, it's not because we didn't try."
The next developments will likely come in the form of emergency legislative sessions or last-minute negotiations between party leaders. In the meantime, federal agencies are bracing for the worst and making contingency plans for a potential shutdown.
Contributing to this report were Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent, and other sources within Congress.
*Reporting by Bbc.*
