Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) took to the Senate floor Tuesday evening in protest of President Trump’s policies and has been speaking for more than 17 hours — with a handful of other Democrats

The government shutdown stretched into Day 24 on Friday as the Senate failed to advance a measure to pay some federal workers.

The second-longest government shutdown enters its 24th day with Congress out of session and the funding lapse heading toward next week.

A Republican-backed bill to fund the government through Nov. 21 failed for the ninth time in the Senate on Wednesday. The vote was 51-to-44, with a supermajority of 60 votes needed for passage. The shutdown started on Oct. 1.

The Senate failed to advance the House-passed funding bill that would end the government shutdown for the 12th time on Wednesday, following a marathon speech by Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

Senators voted for a fourth time to reject spending bills to reopen the US government, meaning the shutdown will extend into next week.

The government shutdown lives on. The Senate failed to pass a funding extension by a vote of 50-43, the 11th time it has tried. Some votes shifted this time. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, was the only GOP no vote.

Today is Day 20 of the impasse, considered the third-longest government shutdown in history — the longest still held under President Donald Trump's first term in 2018-2019. Republican senators will have lunch with Trump at the White House on Tuesday,

The second-longest government shutdown enters its 24th day with Congress out of session and the funding lapse heading toward next week.