A US Capitol Police officer armed with a rifle walks near the East Front Plaza on Capitol Hill on Tuesday in Washington, DC. Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Even by its own bleak standards, Washington’s new record is a monument to failure by leaders who are harming citizens they were elected to serve.

The government shutdown became the longest ever on Wednesday as it entered its 36th day. And while several groups of lawmakers are fumbling for a plan , there’s no clear way out.

This means, the extreme pain and fear being inflicted on millions of Americans will get worse in the bitterest confrontation yet between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats of his second term.

While the showdown is a fight over health care and a Democratic demand to extend enhanced Affordable Care Ac

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