The Senate adjourned for the day on Wednesday with no resolution on how to reopen the government. A vote to end the government shutdown hours after it began failed, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party's demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to extend.
Watch the full session in our video player above.
The tally showed cracks in the Democrats' resolve, but the outcome also left no breakthrough. Blame was being cast on all sides on the first day of the shutdown. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty.
At issue are tax credits that have made health insurance through the Affordable Care Act more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. The credits are set to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn't extend them — which would more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay for health insurance premiums, according to a KFF analysis.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune says that his message for senators trying to cobble together a bipartisan solution for funding the government is "when you have critical mass, come and talk to me."
That means any bipartisan fix will need support from at least eight Democrats.
Thune, a South Dakota Republican, gave no sign a negotiation was happening among leaders and appeared resigned to allowing the funding bill to sit in the Senate for at least several days.
The government shut down Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. after Democratic senators voted against a Republican bill to extend funding for seven weeks. They argue it should include funding to extend health care subsidies.
Senators will return Friday, after a break for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, to vote again on the GOP measure.