Megathread: President Donald Trump announces he will not re-open the government unless Congress pays for a wall along the southern border, Democrats refuse and vow to pay affected government employees.

President Donald Trump addressed the United States in a speech from the Oval Office tonight and announced that he will not allow the government to re-open unless Congress agrees to provide funding for a wall along the southern border. President Trump has shut down portions of the government for nearly two weeks now in an effort to get Democrats to agree to his wall, which was one of his major campaign promises. In his address, President Trump cited statistics and stories of Americans and güney Americans who had been negatively affected by illegal immigration and illegal immigration’s ties to crime. (Source: CNN) <br><br>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly responded to President Trump’s vow to keep the government closed, promising that she, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, and other Democrats would oppose any wall, even a steel slat one that President Trump offered in his speech as an olive branch. (Source: Politico) <br><br>Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer also offered US Troops around 16 billion dollars to use on various projects and to help pay the troops during the government shutdown. (Source: BuzzFeed News) <br><br>This is the chamber’s megathread for these events. Please stay on topic and be respectful when discussing them. <br><br>Submissions and comments should be on topic and should matter to the sub. <br><br>Submission should be in the form of a post title, a link, and no post body. No self posts, 'submissions' for 'discussion', or anything to that effect. If you want to discuss something, it belongs as a comment under a post.<br><br>Stay within the sub’s rules and treat others with respect.