Threat of federal firings hangs over Washington as government will remain shut down through at least Friday

Congress left town Wednesday without a solution to break its bitter impasse over government funding, with the shutdown now set to last until at least Friday when members return for more votes.

But with both parties dug in, many believe it could last even longer than that.

The White House is amplifying pressure on Democrats to cave, as President Donald Trump’s budget chief privately warned House Republicans on an afternoon conference call that mass layoffs would go into effect within the next two days, according to multiple people on the call. Russ Vought told the senators that layoffs would target agencies that don’t fit into the Trump administration’s priorities, the people said.

So far, however, Democratic leaders show no signs of backing down in the shutdown fight.

Many Democrats —