The United States embassy will continue its normal operations despite the government shutdown in America. The embassy confirmed that visa and American citizen services will be carried out normally and also previously scheduled appointments will be honoured without any delay.
The United States Embassy confirmed this news through their official Facebook page. "U.S. Embassy Singapore operations, including visa and American Citizen services, remain operational. Previously scheduled appointments will be honoured," posted the Embassy on their social media handle.
Yesterday, the US Department of State: Consular Affairs posted on Facebook that scheduled passport and visas services will continue in the United States at overseas locations during the lapse.
"Scheduled passport and visas services will continue in the United States and at our posts overseas during the lapse in appropriations. We will not be updating this account regularly, except in the event of an emergency," posted the US Department of State: Consular Affairs.
In an unexpected development, the United States Government was shut down yesterday, on the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration. Touted to be a black day in the history of America, lawmakers failed to agree on a stop-gap spending deal which finally resulted in the shutdown.
As a result, non-essential government employees will be compelled to take temporary unpaid leave, while people employed in emergency services and other essential jobs will continue working.
This is the first modern government shutdown with Congress and the White House controlled by the same party and it came after a fruitless last-minute negotiating session at the White House between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader.
Trump's White House however immediately blamed Democrats for the shutdown.
"Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children and our country's ability to serve all Americans," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement on Friday moments before midnight.
Democrats are demanding a budget deal should include protections for young immigrants known as "Dreamers" brought to US as children, yet Republicans have shown no signs of including a "Dreamers" protection in the bill.
"We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands," Sanders said. Trump and his representatives had been labelling the event the "Schumer shutdown" after Schumer, but the New York Democrat was quick to call it "the Trump shutdown".
With inputs from IANS
