The U.S. government shutdown entered its second week on October 4th, as a stalemate in Congress continues to stall progress on resolving the impasse. On Friday, Senate votes on proposed temporary funding bills failed for the second time, leaving agencies closed and government functions at risk. The Senate will resume Monday with a plan to force a fifth vote on a House-approved proposal to extend funding until November 21st. This ongoing deadlock has had widespread consequences: the White House is intensifying pressure on the Democratic Party regarding potential layoffs and project halts in Democratic-led states. Thousands of federal employees have been furloughed since funds were exhausted on Wednesday, while non-essential services have been suspended as a result. Despite these efforts to resolve the stalemate, no progress has been made towards reopening the government through negotiations alone.