Article snippet: The partial government shutdown is now officially the longest funding lapse in modern history, surpassing a 21-day record set during the Clinton administration. The infamous distinction comes as the shutdown, which began Dec. 22, shows no signs of progress toward resolving the protracted fight: talks between MORE and Democrats are at a standstill; a last-ditch effort by moderate Senate Republicans to jump-start negotiations derailed; and lawmakers left town until Monday afternoon, ensuring the closure will last at least 24 days. The White House and congressional Democrats like Senate Minority Leader MORE (Calif.) are entrenched in their fight over funding for Trump’s proposed border wall. But when, or how, the stalemate finally breaks remains a mystery to lawmakers and administration officials alike. Sen. MORE (R-Ala.), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he could not predict what such a potential deal might look like. “Well, that is a great question,” Shelby said when asked by The Hill about the path out of the shutdown. “That is a central question facing all of us. We don’t know yet. I’ve got some ideas. Everybody’s got some ideas.” But, he added, until Trump and congressional Democrats start talking, “it’s chaos and kind of a circus.” Roughly a quarter of the federal government has been shuttered since Dec. 22 after the president signaled he would not sign a seven-week stopgap bill passed by the Senate. A plan by House conservatives to at... Link to the full article to read more