Facing a midnight deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump said Friday a closure would drag on "for a very long time" and he tried to lay blame on congressional Democrats if there's no deal over his demand for US-Mexico border wall money. Only a week ago, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government, which Republicans now control, in the name of border security. "Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. House Republicans also tacked on nearly USD 8 billion in disaster aid for coastal hurricanes and California wildfires. Some Republicans senators cheered on the House, but prospects in the Senate are grim amid strong opposition from Democrats.

Source: dna December 21, 2018 14:48 UTC