The government shutdown that started on Oct. 1 has entered its fourth week and is now the second-longest in U.S. history.
At Day 22 of the shutdown, Democrats and Republicans have remained at odds. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has been speaking on the Senate floor for more than 17 hours to protest the Trump administration’s policies.
The Senate was scheduled to vote for a 12th time to reopen the government, but Merkley’s speech may derail that vote.
Shutdowns Began in the 1980s
The ongoing shutdown is the second-longest funding lapse in modern history, exceeded by the 35-day shutdown that started in late 2018 and lasted until early 2019. Funding lapse-caused shutdowns are a mostly recent phenomenon, starting in their current format in the early 1980s, according to the House of Representatives’ website….