President Donald Trump said Friday he’s reached a deal to reopen the federal government after a month-long shutdown.

“I am very proud to announce today that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government,” Trump said in remarks from the Rose Garden.

“As everyone knows I have a very powerful alternative but I’m not going to use it at this time,” Trump said.

Sources told CNN the White House and congressional negotiators made an agreement to temporarily reopen the federal government while talks continue on a border wall.

The path included signing a stopgap funding measure that would fund the government through February 15. But sources said it would not include any new funding for Trump’s promised border wall, once an ironclad demand that led to the shuttering of government agencies over the past month.

Instead, lawmakers would return to negotiations over the money while federal workers return to their jobs.

Leading up to the remarks, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was in direct talks with the White House over finalizing the deal’s language, the people familiar with the matter said.

On Friday morning, issues remained over backpay provisions that any agreement would include, one source said. Federal workers have now gone for two pay periods without paychecks.

Once the measure is passed, lawmakers would have three weeks to reach an agreement that addresses Trump’s standing border wall funding request.

If they don’t reach a deal in that span, Trump is expected to say he’ll invoke a national emergency.

The sources cautioned that details remained are fluid and the final agreement could change.

Trump has faced increasing pressure to find a way out of the weeks-long border standoff, which on Friday led to widespread delays at East Coast airports. The pressure increased when two competing proposals to end the deadlock failed in the Senate on Thursday.

After those measures collapsed, Republican and Democratic leaders began frenzied negotiations to end the shutdown, which left 800,000 federal workers without another paycheck on Friday. That resulted in the three-week stopgap funding measure that would fund the government and allow workers to be paid. The White House expressed openness to the plan, but said it must include a “large down payment” for the President’s border wall.

The President has also not ruled out declaring a national emergency, and on Thursday repeatedly insisted he had many “alternatives” to securing border wall funding that did not involve Congress. CNN reported exclusively on Thursday that a national emergency proclamation had been drafted that would allow for potentially billions of federal dollars to be put toward wall construction.

Officials continue to say, however, that they prefer solving the dispute legislatively, and have remained in close negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have indicated that they are waiting to see what the President will accept as part of a short-term funding deal.

Trump said on Thursday he would accept such a measure only if it included a “prorated down payment” on the border wall. Neither he nor his aides have specified a dollar figure for the down payment.

Pressure to end the shutdown increased on Friday after air traffic was delayed at two New York-area airports — LaGuardia and Newark — in addition to Philadelphia International Airport due to staffing issues at a Federal Aviation Administration regional air traffic control center.

A day earlier, Republican lawmakers vented their frustration at Vice President Mike Pence during a tense lunch over a lack of a strategy out of the shutdown.

Administration officials have said as recently as this week that if the shutdown began to devastate air travel, they feared Republicans would jump ship and get on board with a short-term Democratic plan to reopen the government.

Outside political advisers to the President and his allies on Capitol Hill have also worried major flight issues would amplify the blame Trump its already facing for the shutdown. They, too, believe that major disruptions to air travel would ramp up pressure to reopen the government without wall funding.

One of Trump’s top allies, meanwhile, suggested the delays could shake loose a deal.

“I think the problems at the airport are a sign of things to come and I’ve been ready for weeks now to reopen the government and give us a chance without a shutdown hanging over us to reach a compromise,” Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters on Friday. </s> WASHINGTON - Submitting to mounting pressure amid growing disruption, President Donald Trump agreed to a deal Friday to reopen the government for three weeks, backing down from his demand that Congress give him money for his border wall before federal agencies get back to work.

Standing alone in the Rose Garden, Trump said he would sign legislation funding shuttered agencies until Feb. 15 and try again to persuade lawmakers to finance his long-sought wall. The deal he reached with congressional leaders contains no new money for the wall but ends the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

First the Senate, then the House swiftly and unanimously approved the deal. Late Friday, Trump signed it into law.

Trump's retreat came in the 35th day of the partial shutdown as intensifying delays at the nation's airports and another missed payday for hundreds of thousands of federal workers brought new urgency to efforts to resolve the standoff.

"This was in no way a concession," Trump said in a tweet late Friday, fending off critics who wanted him to keep fighting. "It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it's off to the races!"

The shutdown ended as Democratic leaders had insisted it must -- reopen the government first, then talk border security.

"The president thought he could crack Democrats, and he didn't, and I hope it's a lesson for him," said the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of her members: "Our unity is our power. And that is what maybe the president underestimated."

Trump still made the case for a border wall and maintained he might again shut down the government over it. Yet, as negotiations restart, Trump enters them from a weakened position. A strong majority of Americans blamed him for the standoff and rejected his arguments for a border wall, recent polls show.

"If we don't get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down on Feb. 15, again, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and Constitution of the United States to address this emergency," Trump said.

The president has said he could declare a national emergency to fund the border wall unilaterally if Congress doesn't provide the money. Such a move would almost certainly face legal hurdles.

As part of the deal with congressional leaders, a bipartisan committee of House and Senate lawmakers was being formed to consider border spending as part of the legislative process in the weeks ahead.

"They are willing to put partisanship aside, I think, and put the security of the American people first," Trump said. He asserted that a "barrier or walls will be an important part of the solution."

The deal includes back pay for some 800,000 federal workers who have gone without paychecks. The Trump administration promises to pay them as soon as possible.

Also expected is a new date for the president to deliver his State of the Union address, postponed during the shutdown. But it will not be Jan. 29 as once planned, according to a person familiar with the planning but unauthorized to discuss it.

As border talks resume, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he hopes there will be "good-faith negotiations over the next three weeks to try to resolve our differences."

Schumer said that while Democrats oppose the wall money, they agree on other ways to secure the border "and that bodes well for coming to an eventual agreement."

In striking the accord, Trump risks backlash from conservatives who pushed him to keep fighting for the wall. Some lashed out Friday for his having yielded, for now, on his signature campaign promise.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter suggested on Twitter that she views Trump as "the biggest wimp" to serve as president.

Money for the wall is not at all guaranteed, as Democrats have held united against building a structure as Trump once envisioned, preferring other types of border technology. Asked about Trump's wall, Pelosi, who has said repeatedly she won't approve money for it, said: "Have I not been clear? No, I have been very clear."

Within the White House, there was broad recognition among Trump's aides that the shutdown pressure was growing, and they couldn't keep the standoff going indefinitely. The president's approval numbers had suffered during the impasse. Overnight and Friday, several Republicans were calling on him openly, and in private, to reopen the government.

The breakthrough came as LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey both experienced at least 90-minute delays in takeoffs Friday because of the shutdown. And the world's busiest airport -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport -- was experiencing long security wait times, a warning sign the week before it expects 150,000 out-of-town visitors for the Super Bowl.

The standoff became so severe that, as the Senate opened with prayer, Chaplain Barry Black called on high powers in the "hour of national turmoil" to help senators do "what is right."

Senators were talking with increased urgency after Thursday's defeat of competing proposals from Trump and the Democrats. Bipartisan talks provided a glimmer of hope Friday that some agreement could be reached. But several senators said they didn't know what to expect as they arrived to watch the president's televised address from their lunchroom off the Senate floor.

The Senate first rejected a Republican plan Thursday reopening the government through September and giving Trump the $5.7 billion he's demanded for building segments of that wall, a project that he'd long promised Mexico would finance. The 50-47 vote for the measure fell 10 shy of the 60 votes needed to succeed.

Minutes later, senators voted 52-44 for a Democratic alternative that sought to open padlocked agencies through Feb. 8 with no wall money. That was eight votes short. But it earned more support than Trump's plan, even though Republicans control the chamber 53-47. It was aimed at giving bargainers time to seek an accord while getting paychecks to government workers who are either working without pay or being forced to stay home.

Contributing to the pressure on lawmakers to find a solution was the harsh reality confronting many of the federal workers, who on Friday faced a second two-week payday with no paychecks.

Throughout, the two sides issued mutually exclusive demands that have blocked negotiations from even starting: Trump had refused to reopen government until Congress gave him the wall money, and congressional Democrats had rejected bargaining until he reopened government.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Two competing measures to end the partial US government shutdown have fallen short in the Senate as lawmakers explore an option to end a month-long impasse with the White House and fund government operations for three weeks while talks continue.

A bill backed by Republican President Donald Trump to end the shutdown by funding the wall he wants to build on the US-Mexico border and a separate bill supported by Democrats to reopen shuttered agencies without such funding did not get the votes required to advance in the 100-member chamber.

Immediately following the failed effort, Democratic and Republican senators spoke on the Senate floor and urged quick passage of a three-week, stopgap funding bill to end the partial government shutdown for now.

Some Democrats pledged to support more border security funding than was included in the Democrats' bill that was blocked in the Senate on Thursday.

But the White House issued a warning. A three-week funding bill would "only work if there is a large down payment on the wall," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said a measure to temporarily reopen shuttered federal agencies would be unveiled later on Thursday to end the 34-day shutdown, which was triggered by Trump's demand for money to fund a wall.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had spoken to Trump about a three-week funding bill.

"All of us believe if we have three weeks with the government open that we could find a way forward to produce a bill that he would sign, that would be good for everybody in the country," Graham said. "To my Democratic friends, money for a barrier is required to get this deal done."

Trump has touted Republican unity during the longest shutdown in US history.

But in a sign of cracks in that resolve, or a desire for compromise, six Republican senators voted with Democrats on their measure to temporarily reopen government agencies without money for Trump's wall. They included freshman Senator Mitt Romney, his party's 2012 presidential nominee.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, told reporters earlier she was willing to meet with Trump to discuss the shutdown.

Trump has said he wants $US5.7 billion ($A8 billion) for a border barrier, opposed by Democrats, as part of any legislation to fund about a quarter of the federal government for the year.

"Our Country has a chance to greatly reduce Crime, Human Trafficking, Gangs and Drugs. Should have been done for decades. We will not Cave!" Trump said in a tweet, promoting the benefits of a wall.

His demand, and Democrats' refusal to meet it, has sparked a shutdown of agencies that had not already received federal funding, leaving 800,000 federal workers, as well as private contractors, without pay and struggling to make ends meet, the effects on government services and the economy reverberating nationwide.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found more than half of Americans blamed Trump for the shutdown. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump, Congress and the partial government shutdown (all times local):

Republicans controlling the Senate have scuttled a Democratic attempt to temporarily reopen the shuttered portions of the federal government.

The measure would have reopened agency doors through Feb. 8 to give bargainers time to seek a budget accord, an approach that GOP leaders tried last month - only to be undercut by President Donald Trump.

Trump is refusing to reopen the government until he gets a deal on funding for his long-sought border wall.

The Democratic measure had already passed the House, but fell short Thursday of the 60 votes required in the Senate to defeat a GOP filibuster.

Polls have shown that the public is blaming Trump for the shutdown and his approval numbers have sunk as the impasse drags on. The partial government shutdown is now in its 34th day. Federal workers are on the verge of missing another paycheck Friday.

Senate Democrats have blocked President Donald Trump's request for $5.7 billion to construct his long-sought wall along the U.S-Mexico border, as a partial government shutdown continues for a 34th day.

The partisan 50-47 tally fell well short of the 60 votes required to advance the measure over a Democratic filibuster. The $350 billion-plus government-wide funding bill represented the first attempt by Republicans controlling the Senate to reopen the government since the shutdown began.

The demise of the measure and likely defeat of a Democratic alternative Thursday comes despite increasing urgency felt by lawmakers to end the shutdown. It leaves Washington with no obvious path out of the impasse despite mounting pressure.

The measure would have also provided three years of continued protection against deportation for 700,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she's willing to meet with President Donald Trump "anytime" to discuss ending the partial government shutdown.

Pelosi told reporters she's "still optimistic" Senate Republicans will vote Thursday for the Democratic bill that would temporarily reopen government while talks are held over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to build the border wall.

The speaker said House Democrats are putting together a new border security package that could provide a step toward a compromise. It will include money for fencing, technology, personnel and other measures, but not Trump's proposed wall.

Trump responded in real time on Twitter saying, "very simply, without a Wall it all doesn't work.... We will not Cave!"

Some 800,000 federal workers are set to miss another paycheck Friday. The government is in its 34th day of a partial shutdown.

The Senate's new approach to ending the partial government shutdown actually takes votes instead of just pointing fingers. But two competing bills appear likely to fail Thursday, caught in a poisonous Washington impasse.

Either measure would reopen federal agencies and pay 800,000 federal workers who are days from missing yet another paycheck.

Republicans would couple ending the 34-day shutdown with $5.7 billion for President Donald Trump's border wall and revamping immigration laws. Democrats would reopen agency doors for three weeks while bargainers continue to seek a budget deal.

Twin defeats might spur the two sides into a more serious effort to reach an agreement. With the impact of the shutdown becoming increasingly painful, lawmakers say they're willing to compromise on border security and immigration policy.

For AP's complete coverage of the U.S. government shutdown: https://apnews.com/GovernmentShutdown </s> WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump, Congress and the partial government shutdown (all times local):

Republicans controlling the Senate have scuttled a Democratic attempt to temporarily reopen the shuttered portions of the federal government.

The measure would have reopened agency doors through Feb. 8 to give bargainers time to seek a budget accord, an approach that GOP leaders tried last month - only to be undercut by President Donald Trump.

Trump is refusing to reopen the government until he gets a deal on funding for his long-sought border wall.

The Democratic measure had already passed the House, but fell short Thursday of the 60 votes required in the Senate to defeat a GOP filibuster.

Polls have shown that the public is blaming Trump for the shutdown and his approval numbers have sunk as the impasse drags on. The partial government shutdown is now in its 34th day. Federal workers are on the verge of missing another paycheck Friday.

Senate Democrats have blocked President Donald Trump's request for $5.7 billion to construct his long-sought wall along the U.S-Mexico border, as a partial government shutdown continues for a 34th day.

The partisan 50-47 tally fell well short of the 60 votes required to advance the measure over a Democratic filibuster. The $350 billion-plus government-wide funding bill represented the first attempt by Republicans controlling the Senate to reopen the government since the shutdown began.

The demise of the measure and likely defeat of a Democratic alternative Thursday comes despite increasing urgency felt by lawmakers to end the shutdown. It leaves Washington with no obvious path out of the impasse despite mounting pressure.

The measure would have also provided three years of continued protection against deportation for 700,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she's willing to meet with President Donald Trump "anytime" to discuss ending the partial government shutdown.

Pelosi told reporters she's "still optimistic" Senate Republicans will vote Thursday for the Democratic bill that would temporarily reopen government while talks are held over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to build the border wall.

The speaker said House Democrats are putting together a new border security package that could provide a step toward a compromise. It will include money for fencing, technology, personnel and other measures, but not Trump's proposed wall.

Trump responded in real time on Twitter saying, "very simply, without a Wall it all doesn't work.... We will not Cave!"

Some 800,000 federal workers are set to miss another paycheck Friday. The government is in its 34th day of a partial shutdown.

The Senate's new approach to ending the partial government shutdown actually takes votes instead of just pointing fingers. But two competing bills appear likely to fail Thursday, caught in a poisonous Washington impasse.

Either measure would reopen federal agencies and pay 800,000 federal workers who are days from missing yet another paycheck.

Republicans would couple ending the 34-day shutdown with $5.7 billion for President Donald Trump's border wall and revamping immigration laws. Democrats would reopen agency doors for three weeks while bargainers continue to seek a budget deal.

Twin defeats might spur the two sides into a more serious effort to reach an agreement. With the impact of the shutdown becoming increasingly painful, lawmakers say they're willing to compromise on border security and immigration policy. </s> Al Asad Airbase, Iraq: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is prepared to wait as long as it takes to get $5 billion from taxpayers for his US-Mexico border wall, a demand that has triggered a partial shutdown of the federal government that is now in its fifth day.

With no immediate end to the shutdown in sight, Trump made his remarks during a surprise visit to Iraq and blamed the shutdown on Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was expected to become speaker of the US House of Representatives on 3 January.

Trump had previously said he was prepared for a lengthy shutdown and when asked on Wednesday how long he would wait to get what he wants, he said, “Whatever it takes.”

“Nancy is calling the shots,” said the Republican president, suggesting that her opposition to his demand for wall funding had to do with Pelosi’s need for votes to become speaker.

“The American public is demanding a wall,” Trump said while on the ground at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.

During a televised 11 December meeting with Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Trump had said he would be “proud to shut down the government for border security” but has since shifted the blame to Democrats.

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised Mexico would pay for his proposed wall. After Mexico repeatedly refused to do so, he began seeking US taxpayer funding for the wall, which he sees as vital to controlling illegal immigration.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November found that improved border security was a top-three priority for only about 31% of Americans surveyed.

Even with both chambers of Congress and the White House under Republican control for the past two years, former real estate developer Trump has not gained full funding for his wall.

Democrats and some Republicans view it as a costly, unneeded and ineffective project, but some Republicans support the idea and back Trump’s demand for $5 billion in partial funding.

Following weeks of failed talks between Trump and congressional leaders, parts of the US government shut down on Saturday, affecting about 800,000 employees of the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and other agencies.

Most of the federal government, which directly employs almost 4 million people, is unaffected. The Defense Department and other key agencies are fully funded through 30 September.

Congress was scheduled to reconvene after a holiday break on Thursday and resume debate on the matter. </s> The Latest: Governors call for end to government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's request for funding for his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and the partial government shutdown (all times local):

Leaders of the bipartisan National Governors Association are urging President Donald Trump and congressional leaders to end the partial government shutdown, telling them "a federal government shutdown should not be a negotiating tactic as disagreements are resolved."

The group's chairman, Montana Democrat Steve Bullock, and vice chairman, Maryland Republican Larry Hogan, sent the letter on Monday.

The message was made public Tuesday, the 18th day of the shutdown, as Trump prepared to make his case in a prime-time speech that there's a U.S.-Mexico border crisis that must be addressed. Trump wants billions of dollars to fund a border wall, which congressional Democrats oppose.

The governors say federal workers are being hurt and state business is being affected by shutdowns of federal departments and agencies. They warn shorelines are at risk with reduced Coast Guard capabilities.

With no breakthrough in sight, President Donald Trump is set to argue in a prime-time address that a "crisis" at the U.S.-Mexico border requires the wall he's demanding before ending the partial government shutdown.

Trump's speech on Tuesday night will be followed by his visit Thursday to the southern border. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted that he will use the visit to "meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis."

The administration is also at least talking about declaring a national emergency to allow Trump to move forward on the wall without Congress approving the $5.6 billion he wants.

In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of federal workers face missed paychecks Friday as the shutdown drags through a third week. </s> President Donald Trump has yielded to political pressure to end the longest US government shutdown in history.

After 35 days, he backed a deal to fund federal agencies for three weeks, but it includes none of the money he has demanded for a US-Mexico border wall.

The Republican president previously vowed to reject any budget unless it included $5.7bn (£4.3bn) to fund his signature campaign pledge.

But Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, flatly refused.

Later on Friday, the Senate and House unanimously passed a bill to temporarily end the shutdown, after which President Trump signed the bill into law.

Following the votes in Congress, Mr Trump tweeted that his decision had been “in no way a concession”, but was “”taking care of the millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the shutdown”.

What did President Trump say?

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Mr Trump said he was “very proud to announce” the agreement, which will fund the government until 15 February.

He said federal workers affected by the political imbroglio, whom he called “incredible patriots”, would receive full back-pay.

Mr Trump also said he would not yet resort to “a very powerful alternative” – an apparent reference to declaring a national emergency.

This could divert military funding towards building a southern border wall, but such a proclamation would provoke constitutional uproar and legal challenges.

However, the president added: “We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier.

“If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress the government will either shut down on February 15 again.

“Or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the constitution of the United States to address this emergency.”

Mr Trump accepted the deal after hearing of the shutdown’s strain on law enforcement agencies, an administration official told Reuters news agency.

The president is prepared to haggle on the $5.7bn he has been demanding for the border barrier, the same official said.

For more than a month, Donald Trump insisted he would not support reopening the federal government without funding for his border wall.

On Friday, as the fallout from the partial shutdown sent tremors through the US aviation system, the president backed down.

Before all this began, Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell reportedly warned the president that there was no clear way to win a shutdown standoff with Democrats, who – flush off their November election victories – wouldn’t relent.

The wily Kentucky senator, with more than a few legislative victories under his belt, was vindicated.

That must be cold comfort for congressional Republicans, who have watched their party – and the president – take the brunt of the blame for the impasse. And it now sets up a three-week period of frenetic negotiations to reach a border security agreement.

If the federal employees have been drowning because of the shutdown, this temporary funding agreement gives them a chance for a desperate gulp of air.

In three weeks, another shutdown looms, however. Or, the president warned, he could declare a national emergency and take the border battle to the courts.

Either way, the president has retreated – but the fight is far from over.

With opinion polls showing most Americans blamed Mr Trump for the shutdown, he opted for a way out that had been pushed for weeks by the Democratic leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The outcome was widely seen as a resounding victory for her.

Lawmakers in her party lavished praise on the California congresswoman’s refusal to give ground. </s> Donald Trump and top congressional leaders failed to resolve a partial government shutdown that has stretched well into a second week as the president refused to back off from his demands for billions of dollars for a long-promised wall along the southern US border with Mexico.

Democratic and Republican leaders from both chambers were invited to the the White House’s Situation Room, the inner sanctum for classified meetings, on Wednesday for a “border security briefing”. During the meeting Trump asked Department of Homeland Security officials to “make a plea” for his wall.

At a cabinet meeting prior to the briefing, Trump warned that parts of the government would could remain closed for a “a long time” without a deal.

“We’re asking the President to open up government,” Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to assume the speakership of the House of Representatives on Thursday, said after the briefing with the president. “We are giving him a Republican path to do that. Why would he not do it?”

The shutdown was triggered by Trump’s demand that Congress allocate more than $5bn in taxpayer money to build a wall along the 2,000-mile border between the US and Mexico – a concession Democrats refuse to make.

The shutdown, which entered its 12th day on Wednesday, has affected nearly 800,000 federal workers. The incoming House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, said Trump invited leaders back to the White House on Friday.

Pelosi said the Democrats will still vote on Thursday, as Congress starts its new session with the Democratic party in the majority in the House after victories in the midterm elections last November. Democrats intend to introduce a pair of funding bills that would end the shutdown, but without money for a border wall. They bills would allocate $1.3bn for border security measures, such as increased surveillance and fencing.

The White House has called such a legislative package a “non-starter”.

The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation last month that would have funded the government through 8 February without money for a border wall. But Republican leaders in the House refused to hold a vote on the measure.

“Our question to the president and to the Republicans is why don’t you accept what you have already done [in order] to open up government?” Pelosi said.

On Capitol Hill after the briefing on Wednesday, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, told reporters that it could take “weeks” to break the stalemate and that Wednesday’s meeting did not produce “any particular progress”.

“We are hopeful that somehow in the coming days or weeks we will be able to reach an agreement,” he added.

The White House visit by Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was their first since their televised showdown with Trump in the Oval Office last month.

Schumer said he implored Trump to reopen the government while they debated their differences over the border wall.

“We asked him to give us one good reason – I asked him directly,” Schumer said. “He could not give a good answer.”

He added: “To use the shutdown as hostage – which they had no argument against – is wrong.”

Trump made his case for the wall during extensive comments to the press in which he made several false claims and mischaracterizations. At the start of his cabinet meeting, Trump said the border was “like a sieve” and insisted the US needed a “physical barrier” to deter illegal border crossers.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces a short-term deal has been reached with congressional leaders to temporarily reopen the federal government after a partial shutdown that has lasted for 35 days. The stop-gap agreement will last three weeks, until February 15, and will allow for talks to continue over security on the Mexico-United States border. The temporary deal includes no money for President Trump's planned additional border barrier with Mexico.