WASHINGTON – The federal government shutdown entered Day Eight on Wednesday as President Donald Trump warned he could block furloughed federal workers from receiving back pay once the shutdown is over.

Trump’s threat escalated his pressure on Senate Democrats to end the standoff and invited legal scrutiny over the White House’s tactics amid the shutdown.

The Senate is expected to vote for the sixth time on legislation to fund the government around 11:20 a.m. today, after skipping votes yesterday. A pair of government funding bills, one backed by Democrats and another by Republicans, have failed five times to meet the Senate's 60-vote threshold for passing legislation.

Trump has also threatened to fire federal workers and cut government programs if the shutdown continues.

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