The US government shutdown became the longest on record at midnight Friday, when it overtook a 21-day stretch in 1995-1996 under president Bill Clinton. I am in the White House ready to sign!”But most lawmakers left town on Friday and will not return before Monday, leaving little chance for any solution to the stalemate before then. Retreat from ’emergency’At a White House meeting Friday Trump described an emergency declaration as the “easy way out,” and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving funding for the wall. Trump however acknowledged that such a move would likely trigger a legal battle ending in the Supreme Court. ‘Under siege’Trump pushed back Saturday on a media report that his White House was “chaotic” with no plan or strategy to end the shutdown.

Source: Egypt Independent January 13, 2019 09:33 UTC