(MENAFN) U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Republicans on Wednesday as the federal government shutdown stretched into its eighth day, accusing them of refusing to compromise and prolonging the crisis.

"It's now been a full week, a whole week, of Donald Trump's government shutdown, and the country is feeling the sting of Republican intransigence," Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.

He noted that over 700,000 federal employees have been placed on furlough and that essential public services are facing widespread disruptions. Schumer reiterated that Democrats are prepared to reopen the government and once again called for genuine bipartisan talks to not only restore funding but also tackle ongoing issues such as the health care crisis.

The Senate leader also directed his criticism toward House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom he accused of standing in the way of a resolution. "Johnson has become the number one roadblock to ending a shutdown. He sent everyone home for three weeks now, if you care about fixing the crisis, if you care about reopening the government, how the hell do you keep your house not in session for three weeks?" he said.

Schumer urged Republicans to engage in "serious negotiation" with Democrats to bring the shutdown to an end.

Later Wednesday, the Senate was expected to once again consider two competing funding proposals after both measures failed to reach the required 60 votes earlier in the week — marking the sixth attempt to break the impasse.

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