WASHINGTON—Democrats wasted no time flexing their new power in the US House of Representatives on Thursday by approving legislation backed by new Speaker Nancy Pelosi that would end a 13-day partial government shutdown, ignoring President Donald Trump’s demand for $5 billion for a border wall. Thursday marked the first day of divided government in Washington since Trump took office in January 2017, as Democrats took control in the House from his fellow Republicans, who remain in charge of the Senate. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council and an ardent supporter of Trump in Fox News appearances, said that not all federal workers were critical of the shutdown. Visitors to Smithsonian museums, among Washington’s most popular tourist attractions, were being turned away during the shutdown, as were visitors to many of the nation’s federal parks. Advocates have voiced alarm that an extended shutdown could cause environmental damage.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 04, 2019 21:33 UTC