Article snippet: WASHINGTON — The partial government shutdown became the longest closure in US history when the clock ticked past midnight into early Saturday as President Trump and nervous Republicans scrambled to find a way out of the mess. A solution couldn’t come soon enough for federal workers who got pay statements Friday but no pay. The House and Senate voted to give federal workers back pay whenever the federal government reopens and then left town for the weekend, leaving the shutdown on track to become one for the record books once the clock struck midnight and the closure entered its 22nd day. And while Trump privately considered one dramatic escape route — declaring a national emergency to build the wall without a new stream of cash from Congress — members of his own party were fiercely debating that idea, and the president urged Congress to come up with another solution. ‘‘What we’re not looking to do right now is national emergency,’’ Trump said. He insisted that he had the authority to do that, adding that he’s ‘‘not going to do it so fast’’ because he’d still prefer to work a deal with Congress. Nine of the 15 Cabinet-level departments have not been funded. The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the government’s largest agencies, are the most notable exceptions and continue to operate since they were funded through Sept. 30. About 800,000 workers missed paychecks Friday, many receiving blank pay statements. Some posted photos of their emp... Link to the full article to read more