As the U.S. Senate reaches the 34th day of an ongoing government shutdown, discussions intensify regarding a new funding resolution. Senate Republicans, led by John Thune, are optimistic about potentially ending the shutdown this week while considering a longer-term funding bill that could extend through January. Thune emphasized the necessity of prioritizing a stopgap measure to resolve the impasse before any additional spending deals can be made. Meanwhile, pressure mounts to defer full-year spending bills into the next year, complicating the landscape as discussions around the funding extension date loom closer to November 21.