The current government shutdown is now the second-longest in American history, and there’s no sign it will end anytime soon.

As is typical , Congress failed to pass the required spending bills by the time the federal fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, so the Republican-controlled House passed a “clean” continuing resolution that would have extended funding at current levels for seven weeks.

But the resolution stalled in the Senate, where Republicans are in control but don’t have the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster by Democrats.

Democrats introduced their own stopgap spending bill that would have kept the government open for six weeks, but added $1.5 trillion in health care spending to extend Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.

The subsidies were increased during t

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