Watch: The Senate reconvenes after the government shutdown broke the record for the longest period in US history

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Senate Republicans for ending the government shutdown, now the longest on record at 36 days, blaming the impasse for the party’s defeat in the closely watched election while Democrats, emboldened by their off-year victories, continued to fight.

Watch the Senate in the player above.

Trump, whose first term in the White House set the previous record for a government shutdown, said this was a “huge negative factor” in Tuesday’s races. He has revived his demands for Republicans to end the Senate filibuster as a way to reopen the government — something senators have refused to do.

He watches: Trump says the US has the “greatest economy right now” after Democrats won a huge majority on election night

Meanwhile, Democrats strengthened their resolve after sweeping the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and the New York mayor’s race. Democratic leaders said Trump needs to get serious about negotiating an end to the impasse and resolving the issue of expiring health care subsidies that are central to the debate.

“The election results should send a much-needed bolt of relief to Donald Trump that he must come together with us to end this crisis,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Now, entering the sixth week, the lockdown and its effects have deepened nationwide. Federal shutdowns are disrupting the lives of millions of Americans through program cuts, flight delays and workers scrambling to live without paychecks. Officials have warned of future climate deterioration, including chaos in the skies. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would reduce air traffic starting Friday in major markets.

The election brings an inflection point, and Trump demands a stall

Expectations were high that the impasse would end once the results were tallied in the election, which has been widely watched as a barometer of voter sentiment during Trump’s second term.

But Trump’s demand on Wednesday that Republican senators get rid of the filibuster as a way to end the shutdown complicated an already difficult situation. Democrats, facing divisions within their progressive and moderate ranks, said the results showed voters would reward them for the fight.

“It is time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that is to end the filibuster,” Trump said during a breakfast meeting Wednesday with Republican senators at the White House.

Read more: What is the filibuster and why does Trump want to get rid of it during the shutdown?

Trump told GOP senators they could end the shutdown by ending the Senate rule, which requires a 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation, and crushing the Democratic minority. Republicans now have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and Democrats were able to block legislation that would fund the government, after voting against it more than a dozen times.

This push from Trump will likely go unheeded by Republican senators — Senate Majority Leader John Thune later said changing the filibuster does not have support and “is not happening” — but it may motivate them to engage with Democrats.

Trump sets another lockdown record

Trump’s approach to the shutdown contrasts markedly with his first term, when the government was partially shut down for 35 days over his demands for money to build the US-Mexico border wall. At that time, he publicly met and negotiated with congressional leaders. Unable to secure the money, he relented in 2019.

This time, Trump has stayed away from discussing the shutdown, instead maintaining an aggressive schedule of global travel and events, including his private club, Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The matter is not limited to Trump’s refusal to participate in the talks. Congressional leaders are facing a crisis, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, sent lawmakers home in September after they approved their funding bill, refusing to negotiate further.

It is a “sad milestone,” Johnson said at a news conference on Wednesday about the record lockdown.

The Speaker of Parliament denied his party’s losses in the elections and said that Democrats need to abandon their demands on health care until after the government reopens.

Senators search for a deal as the fallout from the shutdown worsens

While talks have intensified among a loose coalition of centrist senators trying to negotiate an end to the shutdown, Democrats are also skeptical that any agreement reached with Republicans will be upheld unless Trump also agrees.

Democrats said Trump’s post-election uneasiness about the shutdown should spark conversations. But they also wonder whether the Republican president will keep his word, especially after the administration restricted SNAP food aid despite court orders to ensure money was available to prevent hunger.

Read more: “You can’t raise $8 billion.” Here’s what to know about SNAP benefits interruption

While moderate Democrats quietly work toward an alternative model, progressive Democrats are holding out for the best possible deal.

“It would be very strange if the American people stepped in to support the Democrats who are fighting for them, and within days we surrender without achieving any of the things we were fighting for,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

Meanwhile, food aid, child care funds and countless other government services are being seriously disrupted. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or expected to come to work without pay.

“Can this end now?” Thune, R.D., said after returning from breakfast at the White House. “Have the American people suffered enough?”

High health insurance costs are at issue

It is crucial for any decision to have a series of agreements that must be supported not only by the Senate, but also by the House of Representatives and the White House, which is not certain at all.

Senators from both parties are seeking to ensure that the regular government funding process in Congress can get back on track, and are eyeing a smaller package of bills with broad support to fund various aspects of government such as agricultural programs and military construction projects at bases.

What’s more difficult is that a large number of senators also want to find a solution to the standoff over funding for Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.

With premium notices being sent out, millions of people are experiencing severe shock due to high prices. The loss of enhanced federal subsidies, which were provided during the COVID-19 pandemic and come in the form of tax credits, is expected to make many people unable to purchase health insurance.

Republicans are reluctant to fund health care, also known as Obamacare, without changes, but negotiating a compromise with Democrats is expected to take time, if an agreement can be reached at all.

Thune promised Democrats would at least vote on their preferred health care proposal, as part of any deal to reopen the government. But that’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care impasse as part of their broader concerns about Trump’s direction of the country and want assurances that it will be resolved.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed to this report.