On Wednesday, the 36th day of the US government shutdown began, marking the longest pause in government operations in the nation's history. This is reported by the BBC.
The shutdown, which started on October 1, was triggered by Congress's failure to reach a funding agreement. As a result, federal employees have gone without pay, and millions of Americans are lacking essential services.
For weeks, Democrats and Republicans have been at a standstill without any signs of compromise, but now some glimmers of hope are emerging, the BBC reports.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the leading Republican in the Senate, expressed his intuition that a breakthrough might be imminent.
Since the beginning of the shutdown, its impact on the daily lives of Americans has intensified. Thousands of federal workers have not been paid, and there are growing fears regarding the safety of air travel across the US, as air traffic controllers and airport staff are working without compensation.
The consequences of the shutdown are also being felt by low-income Americans who rely on government services. One in eight US residents depends on food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but due to a lack of funding, only a portion of this aid is being distributed this month.
The administration of President Donald Trump initially claimed that there would be no SNAP funds disbursed in November, but a federal court ruled that reserve funds must be used to provide assistance to the people.
Trump stated that SNAP aid would be provided when "radical left Democrats open the government," but the White House insists that it will comply with the court's ruling on this matter.
Democrats are refusing to support short-term funding measures unless Republicans agree to extend healthcare subsidies for low-income Americans. Republicans accuse Democrats of "holding the government hostage" over unrelated political priorities.
If a compromise is reached, both chambers will need to pass new legislation, as the initial bill passed by the House of Representatives only provides funding and government operation until November 21.
Reports indicate that in recent days, some moderate Democrats and Republicans are eager to negotiate and reach an agreement by Thanksgiving, celebrated on November 27.
The US Senate held its 14th vote on a resolution that could restore federal government funding, once again failing to achieve a bipartisan compromise. The previous record for the longest shutdown in the US (35 days) was set in 2019 during Trump's first presidential term when he demanded funding from Congress to build a wall on the border with Mexico.