US senators have began a long weekend that guarantees the government shutdown lasting at least 14 days, with both sides more entrenched than ever and the military facing an unprecedented threat to its pay.
Republicans and Democrats have been getting into angry confrontations in the corridors of Congress, with frustration mounting as the crisis over funding the government hits public services harder each day.
Pressure is increasing on Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the shuttered lower chamber of Congress back in session to hold an emergency vote on at least providing military pay.
But the Republican leader is sticking to his guns, telling reporters on Friday that "we will come back here and get back to legislative session as soon as the Senate Democrats turn the lights back on."
Some 1.3 million active-duty service military personnel are set to miss their pay due next Wednesday — something that has not happened in any of the funding shutdowns through modern history.
And with the Senate out until Tuesday next week, there's little hope for the civilian federal workforce, whose pay has already been hit.
"We're not in a good mood here in the Capitol — it's a somber day. Today marks the first day federal workers across America will receive a partial pay check," Johnson said.
"Thanks to Democrats' obstruction to the system here, this is the last pay check that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and reopen the government."
But cracks are beginning to emerge in the unity of Republican House leadership, with conference chair Elise Stefanik calling for a vote on a bill to guarantee troops' pay during the shutdown.
With a prolonged shutdown looking more likely each day, members of Congress have been looking to Republican President Donald Trump to step in and break the standoff.
'Emotions are high'
Nonessential government work stopped after the September 30 funding deadline, with Senate Democrats repeatedly blocking a Republican resolution to reopen federal agencies.
The sticking point has been a refusal by Republicans to include language in the bill to address expiring subsidies that make health insurance affordable for 24 million Americans.
Some Senate Republicans are open to giving Democrats a commitment for a vote on extending the enhanced premium tax credits, which expire at the end of the year.
But the leadership on both sides has refused to sign on to the compromise, with Republicans balking at Democratic demands for a guarantee it would clear both chambers of Congress.
Trump has been largely tuned-out, with his focus on the Gaza ceasefire deal and sending federal troops to bolster his mass deportation drive in Democratic-led cities such as Chicago and Portland.
"Emotions are high. People are upset — I'm upset," said Johnson, who clashed with Democratic senators Wednesday outside his office over the shutdown.
On the same day there was an angry five-minute back-and-forth between Republican Congressman Mike Lawler and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
"Is it better for them, probably, to be physically separated right now?" Johnson said. "Yes, it probably is, frankly."
