White House changes phone message to blame democrats for 'holding funding hostage'

The White House has blamed the Democrats for the US government shutdown, accusing them of “holding government funding hostage” in a voicemail message on its answering machine.

The American government has been in shutdown for three days after senators failed to seal a last-ditch bid for funding late Friday night US-time.

Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight on Friday, and has not been renewed amid a dispute between President Donald Trump and Democrats over the issue of immigration.

Democrats refused to provide the votes needed to reopen the government until they strike a deal with Trump protecting young immigrants from deportation, providing disaster relief and boosting spending for opioid treatment and other domestic programs.

In alleged retaliation to the shutdown, the message on the official comment line for the White House was changed.

“Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding – including funding for our troops, and other national security priorities hostage to an unrelated immigration debate,” the voice message says.

“Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down.”

While the powers at be inside Trump’s White House might feel as though they are getting their point across loud and clear, it has caused some to question its appropriateness.

“The political and partisan phone message you get when you call the White House is wildly inappropriate,” one Twitter user wrote.

“You can’t use White House facilities for partisan political purposes and there are limits on career employees doing explicitly partisan things.”

While another wrote: “Just when you think it’s not possible for this WH to go any lower they make it clear that they only govern on behalf of themselves and don’t care about honesty where Democrats are concerned. It’s the little things that remind you democracy is slipping away.”

However, not everyone is concerned.

“The liberals are losing their minds over the automated message you hear when calling the White House when in fact it’s the truth. It was planned and executed,” another Twitter user wrote, using the hashtag SchumerShutdown.

Meanwhile, the Senate has set a vote for 12pm local time on Monday on advancing a measure that would provide temporary government funding through to February 8 and allow thousands of federal employees to return to work.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also offered an olive branch to Democrats when he pledged in remarks on the Senate floor to bring immigration legislation to a floor debate in early February if the issue had not been dealt with by then.

"It would be my intention to proceed to legislation that would address DACA, border security and related issues," McConnell said, adding: "It is also my intention to take up legislation on increased defence spending, disaster relief and other important matters" then.