DETROIT – Congressman John Dingell, the dean of the House, has seen crisis in his decades in office, but this one is different.
"This is the worst mess that I've ever seen in the House," he said.
Dingell was characteristically frank on the phone with Local 4 Friday night. He does not see any movement happening over the weekend.
"Frankly, I don't think that they had any point in this as to what they were going to accomplish when they got into this, and I think (Speaker) Boehner has lost control of his party," said Dingell.
Back here in Michigan, most have not felt much impact from the shutdown. However, the state budget office says that is going to change if this impasse in D.C. last for two weeks. That's the marker for when federal funds dry up for programs such as food stamps.
House Republicans tried to pass a supplemental bill that would keep funding the program despite the shutdown. Senate Democrats have made it clear they won't go for piecemeal funding bills.