US govt shutdown becomes longest ever as employees remain unpaid into Day 22

The partial shutdown of the US government has become the longest ever, with no end in sight to the political standoff.

It has entered its 22nd day, overtaking the previous record ‑ the 21‑day shutdown in 1995‑96 under then‑President Bill Clinton.

President Donald Trump is refusing to approve a budget unless it includes funds for a wall on the Mexican border.

Democrats have rejected his request for $5.7 billion.

About a quarter of the federal government is still out of operation until a spending plan is agreed, leaving 800,000 employees unpaid.

Those workers ‑ including prison guards, airport staff and FBI agents ‑ missed their first salaries of the year.

[Source: BBC]