WASHINGTON Trump ‘happy’ to work with Democrats

PRESIDENT Donald Trump said this week he would be “happy” to negotiate a deal on health programmes with Democrats, but demanded the federal government first be reopened, as a crippling shutdown entered its second week.

- 

Democrats are refusing to provide the handful of votes the ruling Republicans need to reopen federal departments, unless an agreement is reached on extending expiring “Obamacare” healthcare subsidies and reversing cuts to health programmes passed as part of Feumps signature “One Big Beautiful Bill”

With the government out of money since last Wednesday, Senate Democrats blocked a House-passed temporary funding bill for a fifth time this week.

The hard line taken by Democrats marks a rare moment of leverage for the opposition party in a period when Trump and his ultra-loyal Republicans control every branch of government and Trump himself is accused of seeking to amass authoritarian-like powers.