Monday, Nov. 3 marks day 34 of the federal government shutdown, now firmly into its second month.

The crisis, which currently stands as the second-longest government shutdown, could break new records this week if lawmakers don't come to an agreement to fund federal agencies. Should the impasse continue, come Wednesday, Nov. 5, the shutdown would mark the longest in U.S. history.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump's administration changed its tune on tapping into a contingency fund to pay for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits after two federal judges ruled last week that officials need to make at least partial payments for November.

During an interview on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Trump also reiterated that he would meet with Democrats about subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which has been a major sticking point for lawmakers in the shutdown.

Most Democrats have refused to reopen the government until subsidies are extended to help people pay Obamacare premiums, which are expected to double this year. Trump, in line with many GOP lawmakers, said the government must reopen before health care talks begin.

“I'm not gonna do it by extortion,” Trump said on "60 Minutes."

Is the government still shut down?

Yes, the federal government remains largely shut down and has been since just after midnight on Oct. 1.

More than 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed and ordered not to report to work. Employees deemed essential to public safety, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, border patrol and air traffic controllers, are required to work regardless.

With the exception of members of the military, who were paid on Oct. 15 and Oct. 31, and some Department of Homeland Security officers, other federal workers have gone without pay during the shutdown. Their last partial paycheck on Oct. 10 covered hours worked before the shutdown.

Are SNAP benefits being issued?

While the U.S. Department of Agriculture previously said it wouldn't issue benefits come Nov. 1 for the roughly 42 million low-income Americans who rely on the program, two federal judges on Oct. 31 ordered the department to use $5.25 billion in contingency funds to continue at least partial SNAP payments.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday during an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" that partial SNAP payments "could" flow by Wednesday.

"There's a process that has to be followed," Bessent said. "So, we've got to figure out what the process is."

Trump also said on Oct. 31 he'd instructed executive branch lawyers to find out how the federal government can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.

"It is already delayed enough due to the Democrats keeping the Government closed through the monthly payment date and, even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay."

How long did the longest government shutdown last?

As it currently stands, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history lasted for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 during Trump's first presidency.

During that shutdown, Republicans and Democrats battled over funding Trump's wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

If the current shutdown reaches Tuesday, Nov. 4 and ends, it will tie for the longest in history. If it reaches Nov. 5 and the 36 day mark, it will become the longest in history.

What do Democrats and Republicans want for the government to reopen?

Democrats are pushing to ensure tax breaks for 24 million Americans who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act and have refused to back a government spending bill that doesn’t address the issue.

Senate Democrats want to make the tax break permanent, which would otherwise expire at the end of the year, and provide reassurances to prevent the Trump administration from temporarily withholding funds.

Republicans and the president say they are open to considering a fix for the expiring ACA tax breaks, but want the issue addressed separately from the ongoing budget impasse.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New month, same government shutdown. What's the latest to know about Day 34?

Reporting by Terry Moseley and Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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