Trump, Democrats hold ‘contentious’ talks, fail to end shutdown

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats would pass new legislation to try to reopen parts of the government next week after talks between the Trump administration and Democratic negotiators on Saturday failed to end a two-week partial government shutdown.

After a meeting aimed at breaking the deadlock failed on Saturday, Pelosi said House Democrats would seek to reopen government agencies next week through piecemeal appropriation bills, starting with the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service.

“This action is necessary so that the American people can receive their tax refunds on schedule,” she said. “We just completed a lengthy and sometimes contentious conversation with the president.” Pelosi said the two sides agreed to continue talking.

“But we recognise on the Democratic side that we really cannot resolve this until we open up government and we made that very clear to the president,” she said.

Vice President Mike Pence led the administration’s team in the meeting with Democratic negotiators on Saturday. He said it was “productive” but an aide said there was no in-depth discussion of a possible compromise level of funding for border security.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had told Trump during a meeting in the White House Situation Room to end the shutdown, which began two weeks ago.

“He resisted,” Schumer said. “In fact, he said he’d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years.”

President Donald Trump is demanding $5.6 billion to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico but Democrats in control of the House of Representatives this week passed a bill to reopen the government without providing additional funding for the wall.