The United States government has entered a shutdown after Congress failed to reach a spending agreement, triggering widespread disruption across feder

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Mississippi’s two U.S. Senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, voted in favor of a bill to end the government shutdown. The vote first took place on Tuesday, and then again on Wednesday afternoon, failing both times.

Dueling proposals to end the government shutdown failed in the Senate on Wednesday. There was no end in sight to the deadlock as neither party showed signs of bowing to the other’s government spending demands.

Government “shutdown” is something of a misnomer because when funding lapses, much of the government does not shut down.

A vote to end the government shutdown failed earlier Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party’s demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to extend.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday voted to block a Republican bill aimed at keeping the government open through November 21.

Dueling proposals to extend government funding both failed for the third time in two weeks, as neither party could muster the bipartisan coalition needed to move forward.

Federal workers are expressing concerns a day after the government declared a shutdown. There were three votes on Wednesday to pass a stopgap bill, all of which failed. WASHINGTON - Federal workers across D.C., Maryland and Virginia are in shutdown mode. With many offices closed and paychecks stopped, there's fear and uncertainty about what’s next.

Pauses in federal funding could mean that Department of Education staff are at risk of being furloughed, meaning agency employees would be given mandatory time off. This could slow down the processing of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) corrections and appeals.

Schools in Texas and nationwide could see dire consequences if the shutdown of the federal government stretches beyond a few days, education policy experts warn.