Continued Shutdown of the U.S. Government; Trump Invites Congressional Leaders to the White House

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, invited leaders of Congress from both the Republican and Democratic parties to the White House to provide them with information about the security of the country's borders. A part of the U.S. federal government has been shut down due to budget disagreements over the construction of a border wall with Mexico. On Tuesday, the President rejected the Democrats' proposal to reopen the government, stating that the budget bill presented by the party lacks the necessary funding for building the wall on the southern borders. He again accused the Democrats of neglecting national security in his tweets, asserting that 'real border security' cannot be achieved without a wall. Mr. Trump wrote: 'The Democrats, as I thought, have not allocated any money for a new wall. It's all fantasy. The problem is that without a wall, real security at the border cannot be achieved, and our country ultimately needs a strong and secure southern border.' Hours after these tweets, media reported on a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House scheduled for Wednesday. During this meeting, officials from the Department of Homeland Security will provide information about the status of the borders to both Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress. The shutdown of parts of the U.S. government began on December 22, and there are currently no signs of direct negotiations between Republicans, Democrats, and the White House. Nita Lowey, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced a plan on Monday to provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security until February 8. This plan also includes funding for other federal agencies until the end of the fiscal year. The proposed plan includes a budget of $1.321 billion for border security, while Donald Trump has requested $5 billion for the construction of the border wall with Mexico.