The US government shutdown entered its 35th day on Tuesday, matching a record set during President Donald Trump's first term for the longest in history, as Republicans and Democrats in Congress continue to blame each other for the standoff.
The toll increases by the day.
Food assistance for the poor was halted for the first time, federal workers from airports to law enforcement and the military are going unpaid, and the economy is flying blind with limited government reporting.
The Senate has voted more than a dozen times against a stopgap funding measure passed by the House of Representatives, and no lawmakers have changed their position.
Trump's Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate but need votes from at least seven Democrats to meet the chamber's 60-vote threshold for most legislation.
White House remodelling
Democrats are withholding their votes to extract an extension of some healthcare insurance subsidies.
"The victims of the Democrats’ shutdown are starting to pile up," Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on Monday.
"The question is, how long are Democrats going to continue this? Another month? Two? Three?"
His Democratic counterpart, Chuck Schumer, pointed out how Trump's attention has been focused elsewhere.
"While Donald Trump is bragging about remodelling bathrooms at the White House, Americans are panicking about how they will afford healthcare next year," Schumer said, referring to a remodelling Trump unveiled on Friday.
Midterm elections
On Monday, however, there was talk rippling through the Senate that closed-door conversations between the two parties might be making some progress.
The 15th shutdown since 1981 stands out not just for its length.
It has inverted the normal partisan dynamic in which shutdowns have often been provoked by Republicans.
In addition, little effort has been put into ending this latest shutdown. The House has been out of session since September 19, and Trump has repeatedly left Washington.
On Tuesday, Trump again urged Senate Republicans to act or risk losing next year's midterm elections.
"Elections, including the midterms, will be rightfully brutal. If we do terminate the filibuster, we will get everything approved; if we don’t do it, they are far more likely to do well in the upcoming elections," he wrote in a social media post.
