The U.S. Government Shutdown Enters a Stalemate, with Democrats Refusing to Compromise and Republicans Blaming Others

October 10th: The leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress continue to lay blame on each other for the shutdown of the U.S. government. Neither side is willing to give in from their respective positions and talking points. The deadlock has now lasted for nine days. The main focus of the shutdown deadlock is on healthcare and political maneuvering. Before the shutdown, House Speaker Johnson had been refusing to recall lawmakers, insisting that the House had fulfilled its duty by passing a temporary funding bill that would reopen the government until November 21st. However, some Republican colleagues have started to question his decision to keep lawmakers away from Washington. Representatives Kevin Kelly from California and Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, who represent swing districts, have called for a return to Capitol Hill next week. Meanwhile, since October 1st when the funds ran out, there has been no sign of a resolution to reopen the government. At the leadership level, Republicans have refused to engage with Democrats. Instead of negotiating with the Democratic leadership, Republicans are looking to win over a few moderate Democratic senators to support the Republican temporary spending bill. Some have proposed passing individual funding bills one by one, but this would be a long and difficult process in the Senate. Republicans need the support of five Democratic senators to back their temporary measure to end the shutdown.