Deadlock in Washington: Congress seeks a way out of the 34-day crisis

After nearly a month of standoff between Congress and President Trump, the first signs of a possible breakthrough have emerged. On Monday, leaders of both chambers held negotiations to resolve the federal crisis.

What happened:

• The suspension of the government has lasted 34 days — close to a record high.
• Critical programs are under threat: support for the needy, military salaries, airport operations.
• 1.7 trillion dollars of additional funding ( approximately one third of the annual budget of the USA ) remains frozen

Current situation: Thousands of federal employees have been sent on unpaid leave, the economy is losing money every day. Since the beginning of October ( when the new financial year was supposed to begin ) both parties have held several private meetings, but a consensus has not yet been reached.

Why it matters: Every day of downtime exacerbates economic damage. The question is no longer whether the crisis will be resolved, but when — and at what cost.