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The Rotunda of the United States Capitol Empty is seen at a partial closure of the government in Washington on Monday, December 24, 2018. The two parties are fighting over government funding Mexican-American President Donald Trump. the border wall seems to be close, but a quarter of the federal government entered Christmas without a clear resolution in sight. (AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON – The two sides in the battle around the border wall of President Donald Trump with Mexico gave a little money. What they do not seem to agree on is what we should spend.
And until Trump, who wants a wall, and the Democrats, who oppose it, reach an agreement, parts of the American government will remain closed. .
Christmas marks the fourth day of the partial closure of the US government, with no end imminent.
Most legislators fled the capital during the weekend to join their family. Trump stayed at the White House after canceling his intention to spend Christmas in his Florida estate.
"Nothing new, nothing new about the closure, nothing new except that we need border security," he told reporters Monday at the White House during his participation in the annual tradition of answering phone calls from children anxious to know when Santa will return home.
In a joint statement, congressional Democratic leaders Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi blamed Trump for the stalemate. and to "plunge the country into chaos". They pointed to problems beyond closure, including heavy losses on Wall Street and Trump's decision to sack his defense secretary.
"The president wanted the closure, but he does not seem to know how to get out of it," they said.
Trump had declared that he would be "proud" to overthrow the government, but now blames the Democrats for not granting him the necessary number of votes to approve a bill adopted by the House. the $ 5.7 billion it wants for the Wall
The White House has presented to Schumer a counter-offer during the weekend lying between Trump's $ 5.7 billion price tag. the $ 1.3 billion offered by Democrats, said budget director Mick Mulvaney. He did not specify, but a Democratic assistant who has given anonymity to discuss the private talks said that the White House had offered $ 2.5 billion, or $ 2.1 billion plus $ 400 million, what the Democrats have called a "slush fund" for the president's other immigration priorities. he was waiting for Schumer's answer. Schumer's office said the parties remained "far apart".
Trump intervened from the White House, where he ruthlessly tweeted about various issues while being locked up in the mansion since Saturday when the closure began. He tweeted at one point on the feeling of loneliness.
"I am alone (poor me) in the White House, waiting for the Democrats to return and reach a border security agreement they desperately need," he tweeted. "At some point, the Democrats who do not want to reach an agreement will cost our country more money than the border wall we all talk about.
Trump met on Monday on border security with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other ministry officials. Senate negotiators continued behind-the-scenes negotiations with Democrats and Republicans. The House and Senate briefly went into session on Christmas Eve before closing quickly again.
Several departments and Cabinet bodies have been closed since Saturday after the end of their funding and Mulvaney warned that the closure could last until January, when Democrats
Trump fired federal employees on Monday and Christmas is a federal holiday, which means that the public could begin to feel the effects of the closure on Wednesday. Some 800,000 federal public servants must either work unpaid for the time being, or stay home and wait to be paid later.
Trump promised to charge Mexico for the border wall. Mexico refused.
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Follow Darlene Superville and Lisa Mascaro on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap and http://www.twitter.com/LisaMascaro
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