Hopes for a quick end to the government shutdown were fading Friday as Republicans and Democrats dug in for a prolonged fight and President Donald Trump readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government.

Senators were headed back to the Capitol for another vote on government funding on the third day of the shutdown, but there has been no sign of any real progress toward ending their standoff.

Democrats are demanding that Congress extend health care benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day after day of voting on a House-passed bill that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels.

“I don’t know how many times you’re going to give them a chance to vote no,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at a news conference Friday.

He added that he would give Democratic senators the weekend to think it over.

Although Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, the Senate's filibuster rules make it necessary for the government funding legislation to gain support from at least 60 of the 100 senators.

That's given Democrats a rare opportunity to use their 47 Senate seats to hold out in exchange for policy concessions.

The party has chosen to rally on the issue of health care, believing it could be key to their path back to power in Washington.

Their primary demand is that Congress extend tax credits that were boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic for health care plans offered under the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Thune says that he’s open to talking with Democrats about their demand to extend tax credits for Affordable Care Act health plans, but he’s not making commitments until they vote to open the government back up.

“That’s not something that we can guarantee that there are the votes there to do,” Thune said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “We have more reforms coming to try to fix Obamacare, which is not working for the people."

Johnson, R-La., addressing the insurance that millions of people receive through the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature law, said "you need common-sense, responsible Republicans who are serious about policy to fix that for the people, and that's what we're working to do,” as Democrats are demanding that they extend health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year.

Johnson is saying that he won’t negotiate with Democrats on their health care demands.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said, “I don’t have anything to negotiate” when it comes to the funding bill before the Senate because it keeps government funding mostly at current levels.