A week that started with optimism ended with no obvious off-ramp for the longest government shutdown in American history.
There’s no deal, no plan to come up with a deal and a lot of unhappy lawmakers. All the while the effects of the shutdown are impacting millions of Americans.
Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said plainly: “We’re going to be in a shutdown for a while guys. I mean, it’s just very simple. Everybody can rant and rave and cuss and discuss. But we’re going to be in a shutdown.”