U.S. Senate Republicans and Democrats are failing to find a path forward.                

The deadlock on Capitol Hill is why the government shutdown is inching further into its second week. 

President Trump said talks were underway on health care, the key issue at the center of the standoff over federal funding. But Democratic leaders in Congress say they heard nothing from the White House on Monday evening.

This all comes as the threats of widespread firings of federal workers continue. 

In Wisconsin, about 18,000 federal workers are unpaid and in limbo, including a woman WCCO spoke with on Monday.

She asked that her identity not be revealed because speaking publicly could put her job at risk. She's dedicated more than two decades as a government worker and is proud of her service, but she is preparing to be furloughed, again.

She was furloughed in 2018 when the government was shut down for 35 days.

"To me and a lot of people, this is going to last longer than the last time. We are buckling up for it," she said. 

While she managed to get by the last time, she is still frustrated and left budgeting every dollar to cover expenses. 

"The biggest worry is the bills for my family. How will I pay the mortgage?" She said.

She saved enough to get by for a month. After that, she has to take out a loan to make do.

She is caught in a tough reality, one she believed would not happen again after voting for Mr. Trump. She says she now feels left behind — and is choosing to leave the party behind.

"What changed for me is he is not supporting the federal workers," she said. "He (Mr. Trump) is putting us in a place where we are the enemy."

She says she isn't asking for anything extra, just the paycheck she's earned. 

"Please just get together, compromise, come to an agreement. Do what we voted you to do," she said.