WATCH LIVE: Senate meets on day 28 of lockdown as federal labor union calls for end to standoff

WASHINGTON (AP) — The push to end the federal government’s second-longest shutdown takes on new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food aid, more federal workers miss out on their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports derail travel plans.

Watch the Senate debate in the player above.

Mounting pressure on lawmakers to end the impasse has been compounded by the nation’s largest federal employee union, which has called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay. Everett Kelly, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said both political parties have made their point clear.

“It is time to pass a clean, continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” said Kelly, whose union has significant political weight with Democratic lawmakers. “No half-measures, no manipulation.”

However, Senate Democrats, including those representing states with many federal employees, do not appear willing to back down. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine said he insists on the White House’s commitments to prevent the administration from laying off more workers en masse. Democrats also want Congress to extend support for health plans under the Affordable Care Act.

“We have to come to an agreement with Donald Trump,” Kaine said.

But lockdowns become more painful the longer they last. Soon, as lockdowns continue for a full fourth week starting Tuesday, millions of Americans are likely to face hardship firsthand.

The impact of the lockdown is expected to grow significantly

The country’s 1.3 million active-duty service members are at risk of losing their paychecks on Friday. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they would get paid by diverting $8 billion in military research and development funds to pay salaries. But it is unclear whether the Trump administration is willing – or able – to transfer money again.

Even bigger, the Trump administration says funding will run out on Friday for the food assistance program that 42 million Americans rely on to supplement their grocery bills. The administration refused to use more than $5 billion in emergency funds to keep benefits flowing through November. It says states will not be reimbursed if they temporarily cover the cost of benefits next month.

The Ministry of Agriculture says the emergency fund is intended to help respond to emergencies such as natural disasters. Democrats say the decision regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, conflicts with the department’s previous guidance regarding its operations during the shutdown.

“The administration is making a deliberate choice to defund SNAP this weekend,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “Emergency funding is in place. The administration has chosen not to use it.”

Will the representatives find a solution?

At the Capitol, congressional leaders mostly highlighted the challenges many Americans face as a result of the shutdown. But there was no movement toward negotiations as they tried to shift the blame to the other side of the political aisle.

“Now government workers and every other American affected by this shutdown are little more than pawns in Democrats’ political games,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

The House passed a short-term continuing resolution on September 19 to keep federal agencies funded. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, has kept the House out of legislative session since then, saying the solution is for Democrats to simply accept this bill.

But the Senate has consistently fallen short of the 60 votes needed to advance the spending measure. Democrats insist that any bill to fund the government also addresses health care costs, namely the higher health insurance premiums that millions of Americans will face next year under plans offered through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace.

The shopping window for health plans is delayed

The enrollment window for ACA health plans begins Saturday. In past years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed Americans to preview their health coverage options about a week before open enrollment.

As of Monday, Healthcare.gov appeared to show 2025 health insurance plans and estimated prices, rather than next year’s options. CMS was expected to bring back all of its furloughed workers during the shutdown, in part to manage the ACA’s open enrollment period.

Twenty-eight senators, most of them Democrats, signed a letter urging the Trump administration to allow ACA enrollees to begin previewing their health insurance options for next year on its marketplace website.

Republicans insist they will not consider negotiations on health care until the government reopens.

“I’m particularly concerned about rising insurance premiums for working families,” said Sen. David McCormick, Republican of Pennsylvania. “So we’ll have that conversation, but we won’t have it until the government opens up.”

Congressional leaders are delving deeper into the matter

Schumer said Republicans would rather shut down the government than work with Democrats to prevent massive spikes in health insurance costs. The average American doesn’t want to pay an extra $20,000 a year for their health insurance, he said.

“We Democrats want to resolve this crisis immediately,” Schumer said. “So cutting health care is not a crazy demand.”

Vice President J.D. Vance was planning to visit a GOP luncheon on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. But with President Donald Trump on a three-country Asian tour and congressional leaders holding their ground, a quick agreement seemed unlikely.

Meanwhile, some rank-and-file lawmakers urged their colleagues to consider the impact their standoff would have on the lives of federal employees and Capitol Police officers who have not been paid in weeks.

“We have to come together, which means we have to talk to each other,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, said in a speech to the crowd, urging leaders to stop focusing on who will win the political battle.

She added: “The losers now are the American people.”

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Mark Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.