Shutdown Day 35: Hopeful talk, but still no deal

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government shutdown becomes the longest on record Wednesday after surpassing the 35-day mark.

The U.S. Senate for a 14th time failed to pass a short-term spending bill to reopen the government on Tuesday, but signs of a potential deal continued to be floated by lawmakers from both parties.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, said he hoped bipartisan negotiators were "close" to reaching a deal, but added "the cross-pressures that everybody's feeling are great."

"I think there are people who realize this has gone on long enough, and there's been enough pain inflicted on the American people and it's time to end it," Thune said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has been urging Democrats to withhold their support for the short-term spending bill until Republicans agree to extend soon-to-expire health care subsidies, told reporters after a closed-door caucus meeting that "we’re exploring all the options."

President Donald Trump continued to press Senate Republicans on his Truth Social platform to deploy one "nuclear" option — eliminating the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster-proof voting threshold so the GOP-majority can pass the spending bill along party lines.

"TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!!" Trump posted online. He is set to meet with Senate Republicans at the White House on Wednesday.

Thune told reporters on Monday there were not enough votes to get rid of the filibuster.

Trump administration officials continued to warn that a prolonged shutdown would lead to massive airport delays and possible air space closures, during the busiest travel period of the year.

"You will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it, because we don’t have the air traffic controllers," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters at a news conference.

The White House also insisted it is complying with a federal court order to release nearly $5 billion in emergency funding to provide SNAP benefits to millions of Americans who rely on the monthly food assistance stipend.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked about a social media post by the president asserting the money will not be released until the government is reopened, said the administration will tap into the emergency fund, but "it's going to take some time" for benefits to reach recipients.

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.