US President Donald Trump has announced he will make a prime-time address and visit the US-Mexico border this week as the partial federal government shutdown entered its 17th day after a funding impasse over his demand for money to build a border wall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The moves indicate the Republican president has no intention of backing off his pledge to build a wall that he believes will stem illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Democrats in Congress say a wall would be expensive, inefficient and immoral.
However, pressure to reach a deal is likely to grow as the effects of the shutdown are felt, including possible cuts in food stamp programs and delayed tax refunds.
Trump planned to visit the US-Mexico border on Thursday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders announced on Twitter. The visit likely will highlight security concerns pushed by the administration as justification for the wall.
A short while later, Trump said in his own Twitter post that he will address the nation on Tuesday at 9 pm local time EST (1300 AEDT Wednesday) to discuss what he called a humanitarian and national security crisis on the southern US border.
Large chunks of the federal government shut down on December 22 over Trump's demand that a bill to keep the federal government operational include more than $US5 billion to pay for a wall along the border with Mexico.
About 800,000 government workers have been either furloughed or working without pay since December 22.
Vice President Mike Pence said White House lawyers were evaluating the possibility that Trump could declare a national emergency in order to secure alternate funding for the wall but that Trump had not made a decision on using that tactic.
Trump has directed the White House budget office to take steps to mitigate the effects of the shutdown, including ensuring tax refunds are delivered, Pence told reporters.
He said Trump also invited Democrats back to the White House to respond to its latest proposal to resolve the stand-off over legislation to fund the government.
Trump last week told lawmakers the shutdown could last months.
Trump has argued the wall is necessary for national security and has tried to link terrorism to illegal immigration, without providing evidence, as justification for the plan. Democrats say there has been no evidence of suspected terrorists coming through the southern border and that Trump has no grounds to declare a national emergency over the issue.
Democrats, who have taken control of the US House of Representatives, say other border security measures are more efficient and cost-effective than a wall, which is contrary to American values.
Australian Associated Press
