The federal government shutdown officially entered its 21st day on Tuesday night as lawmakers continue to spar over the specifics of the funding bill. Here is the latest on the Capitol Hill showdown.

Blame Game Sends Government Shutdown Past the Three-Week Threshold

Lawmakers continue to remain at odds over the issue of health care subsidies, dragging the government shutdown past the three-week mark. The Senate once again failed to pass a GOP-backed funding proposal on Monday night. While the final vote came in at 50 to 43, it fell well short of the 60-vote threshold needed to pass the bill. This is the 11th time that the plan has failed to advance in the Senate.

Both parties are putting the blame on the opposition as thousands of federal workers have now missed their paychecks. President Donald Trump referred to the Democrats as “obstructionists,” renewing his threats to slash Democrat-backed programs during the shutdown.

There has been little hope over the last few weeks that an end was near. However, several Republican leaders left a meeting with the president on Tuesday, signaling that Trump seemed open to negotiations with the Democrats should they put forward a meaningful offer.

Trump spoke with reporters in the Oval Office after the meeting, saying that he would "love to meet with Democrats. However, the president said that he wants to reopen the government before agreeing to a meeting to discuss healthcare.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he and the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have reached out to Trump to request a meeting to negotiate the shutdown. Likewise, Democratic Sen. Corey Booker said that it is the president's responsibility to try to end the shutdown. Booker criticized the president for taking another international trip to discuss foreign policy issues when he should be at home working on what is happening on U.S. soil.

House Speaker Mike Johnson affirmed the GOP stance that they would not negotiate with Democrats on health care issues. However, a group of 13 Republican representatives from the House penned a letter to Johnson on Tuesday, urging him to immediately turn his attention to health care costs, signaling a potential fracture in the party line.

Air Traffic Control Continues to Bear Brunt of Impacts

The far-reaching impacts of the shutdown are being felt acutely across the nation's air network. Widespread flight delays were reported throughout the day on Tuesday as air traffic controllers called out sick. For example, delays were averaging 38 minutes as of 8 pm ET on Tuesday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

Flights arriving at Houston International Airport were being held on the ground for nearly 80 minutes on average, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There was a similar situation unfolding at nearby Houston Hobby Airport with an average wait til of 91 minutes.

Disruptions were also being reported at Newark Liberty International Airport thanks to staffing shortages.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed last week that some aviation workers are taking unscheduled time off to protest the fact that they are not being paid during the shutdown. Since the start of the shutdown, there have been confirmations of 192 staffing shortages at FAA facilities. This translates to four times the number reported during the same time period last year.

Other Impacts of the Extended Shutdown

The Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. distributed canned and dry goods to over 370 households on Tuesday. The food bank was being called on to support federal employees and contractors who are not receiving paychecks as the shutdown drags on.

There is also a side controversy brewing in the House of Representatives as Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva has not been officially sworn in due to the shutdown. Grijalva told the media that she has been trying to reach House Speaker Johnson before she leaves town to return to her district in Arizona. Grijalva won the election four weeks ago, yet has not spoken personally to Johnson.

Johnson has repeatedly said that he will not swear her in until the House is in session, a moment that will not happen until the government is back in business. In the meantime, Grijalva has been unable to conduct official business.

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