Republicans warn of pain ahead as US shutdown faces second week
Trump administration officials and top Republicans warned Sunday that Americans will increasingly feel the pain of an ongoing US government budget shutdown as most federal operations remained shuttered.
With Democrats refusing to give in over their demands for continued government health care subsidies in the budget, the White House says plans are being finalised for the firing of thousands of federal workers.
Shutdowns are a periodic feature of gridlocked Washington when the two parties cannot agree on budget priorities. All non-essential workers are temporarily furloughed, or left without pay, while the parties work out their differences.
This time, the stakes are higher, with President Donald Trump threatening to permanently fire, not merely furlough, government employees.
The impasse, in its fifth day, showed no signs of ending, with a top Democrat…
