The shutdown is now expected to last at least through Friday, when lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Senate floor. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday that layoffs will be part of the ongoing shutdown. Vice President JD Vance struck an optimistic tone on the potential duration of the shutdown. The Congressional Budget Office later estimated the shutdown delayed $18 billion in federal spending and reduced the gross domestic product by $3 billion. At the time, around 800,000 federal employees were impacted — roughly 340,000 furloughed, with the rest working without pay.