In brief
As the U.S. government shutdown extends into its third day, President Trump has committed to work with his budget director to identify 'Democrat Agencies' for potential budget cuts. The shutdown has left many federal workers unpaid and has led to the closure of several federal attractions. Meanwhile, Congress remains deadlocked, with both parties blaming each other and little hope for immediate resolution. Analysts suggest that public pressure may increase as citizens begin to feel the impact of the shutdown.
President Donald Trump has said he and his budget director will work out which 'Democrat Agencies' to cut as the US government shutdown approached its third day.
He suggested Republicans should seize the opportunity to 'clear out dead wood' and gave no hint of concessions to Democratic demands that legislation funding the government should include healthcare insurance subsidies.
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, continued to blame each other for failing to keep federal agencies open.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are staying home, while others worked without pay. Some federal attractions closed to visitors while others, including the Statue of Liberty, stayed open.
Analysts don't expect either side to budge without pressure from everyday Americans, most of whom have yet to feel direct impacts on their lives.
On the first day of the shutdown, Vought said the White House had moved to pause or cancel billions of dollars in funding meant for Democratic states, including $18bn (£13.4bn) in infrastructure projects in New York - home of both Senator Chuck Schumer and the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.
Republicans need eight Democratic senators to vote with them, while Democrats need 13 Republicans to side with them. Only three Democrats joined with Republicans on the last failed vote in the Senate on Wednesday. Lawmakers are expected to try again on Friday afternoon to resolve the impasse with a vote in the Senate.
As politicians traded barbs, US government services started to grind to a halt and thousands of federal workers stayed home. About 750,000 federal workers were expected to take unpaid leave, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
During the last shutdown these employees increasingly began to call in sick, leading to some delays at major airports.
Tourists were turned away from museums in Washington and New York, including at Federal Hall in Manhattan. However, monuments such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remained open, 'thanks to the leadership of President Donald J Trump,' a Department of the Interior spokesperson told the BBC.
As the standoff continues, it is clear that both sides need to compromise to bring an end to the shutdown.
