Democratic and Republican senators lamented the lack of progress in ending the government shutdown on Monday evening as both parties are digging in on their positions.
“It is Groundhog Day. I mean, really and truly,” Republican Sen. Jim Justice said after a vote to advance the GOP stopgap funding bill failed for a fifth time Monday evening.
“This is absolutely holding the American people in hostage, trying to get your way,” Justice said of Democrats’ demands.
Some Democratic senators criticized the lack of formal negotiations with their Republican counterparts as the shutdown enters its second week.
“There’s a lot of talk, but there’s nothing structured. That’s the problem,” said Democratic Sen. Peter Welch, who was seen speaking with Republican Sen. Mike Rounds on the Senate floor around votes on Monday.
Rounds, who has engaged in several informal bipartisan huddles with his colleagues on the Senate floor, said there has not been significant progress in their conversations.
“Not at this stage of the game,” Rounds told CNN when asked if they are making headway in talks. “But we’re still talking and still trying to explain that once the shutdown is over with, then we can really start getting into the negotiations about a lot of these issues, including all of the appropriation bills, the NDAA, and we know that there’s opportunities for amendments on all of this.”