WATCH LIVE: Senate meets as government shutdown approaches record for longest in history

The Senate reconvened Tuesday morning as the government shutdown approached the record for the longest period in U.S. history.

The Senate was expected to reconvene at 10 a.m. EST on November 4. Watch the player’s live stream above.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he was “optimistic” that the Senate could vote to reopen the government by the end of the week if lawmakers make progress over the next two days. This came after comments from President Donald Trump who said he “will not be blackmailed” by Democrats into reopening. Democrats say they want to solve the health care crisis and expand subsidies.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration indicated in court that it would only partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as the government shutdown enters its second month. The Agriculture Department had planned to withhold $8 billion needed for the food program starting Saturday until two judges ordered the administration to fund it.

The USDA, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer continue funding it during the federal government shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a key part of the country’s social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion a month nationally. The government says the emergency fund it will use is $4.65 billion, enough to cover about half of regular benefits.

He watches: What food benefit cuts mean for state aid systems

It’s not clear exactly how much recipients will receive, nor how quickly the value will appear on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. November payments have already been delayed for millions of people.

This post will be updated.