The federal government shut down late Tuesday night after Congress failed to reach a funding deal before the deadline, leaving thousands of federal workers furloughed and key services disrupted.

Now, both parties are locked in a standoff over health care spending and budget priorities.

News 9 spoke to Sen. James Lankford, a member of Oklahoma's Congressional delegation, in the hours following the shutdown to glean more from his perspective in the nation's capital.

How long are you expecting the government shutdown to last?

Well, it is impossible to tell. It's kind of like a war. Once it starts, it's hard to be able to stop. I'm hoping we can get it stopped today. There have been shutdowns as long as 34 days, but it would be great to be able to get this resolved today, so people can mov

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