As the shutdown entered its 22nd day on Saturday, making it the longest in US history, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has weighed in.
Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, noted that the shutdown record had been surpassed and posted on Twitter that the cost of the shutdown was already high, Fox News reported.
“People are missing paychecks, losing business, or working without pay. Our national parks are overrun with trash. The FDA and FBI warn of the harm to our food safety and national security,” she said.
She also claimed that “Americans can’t afford another day” and told supporters to urge their Senators to “demand a vote to re-open”, specifically targeting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Republicans and Democrats are stuck in negotiations over Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion to build a border wall or barrier to deal with an alleged immigration crisis. Democrats have announced that they would support $1.6 billion for more general border security including improved technology, but not specifically for a wall. Democratic leaders have accused Trump of manufacturing a crisis to justify his wall.
Trump on Saturday tweeted that Democrats could “solve the Shutdown in 15 minutes.”
Trump earlier said he has been considering declaring a national emergency, a move that would give him certain powers to get cash without congressional approval, although he walked back the threat at a border security round table, remarking that Congress should vote on the issue.
The House of Representatives on Friday voted to approve a measure ensuring that federal workers affected by the shutdown will be paid retroactively when the government re-opens. Trump is expected to sign the bill, which has already passed through the Senate.
About 25 percent of the federal government has been shuttered since December 22, 2018, causing an estimated 800,000 federal workers to miss paychecks on Friday.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
