USDA says SNAP benefits won't be issued on Nov. 1

House Speaker Mike Johnson reflected on another week of the shutdown -- issuing a public apology to the millions of Americans who are "suffering."

"I just feel like we ought to apologize," Johnson said at a news conference on Friday, Day 17 of the shutdown. "I hate that we have to do this. I don't want to be here any more than you do talking about this subject. It is so difficult to be a happy warrior when you know that so many millions of American people are suffering," he said.

Johnson blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown -- calling on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer again to reopen the government.

"We're afraid that Americans are going to continue to suffer at the hands of Democrats' political games," he said.

ABC News' John Parkinson, Selina Wang and Lauren Peller

On Day 17 of the government shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is standing firm against Republican pressure to end the standoff -- insisting Democrats remain united as partisanship continues to block a breakthrough.

"House and Senate Democrats are going to continue to hold firm as it relates to a basic common sense position, that when we enact spending bills we should be helping the American people, not hurting them," Jeffries told reporters Friday morning.

He added that Democrats "will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people."

"Let's sit down in good faith to reopen the government," Jeffries said.

Asked by ABC News about when the pain of a shutdown might reach a breaking point for Democrats' heath care demands, Jeffries blamed Republicans and their absence on Capitol Hill .

"Part of the problem is that House Republicans are nowhere to be found, literally, have been on vacation for three consecutive weeks," Jeffries said.

-ABC News' Selina Wang, Lauren Peller and John Parkinson

The Senate has adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday.

The move comes after Democrats blocked the chamber from moving forward on a clean government funding bill for the 10th time. Democrats also stopped the Senate from moving forward with debate on a full-year funding bill for the Department of Defense.

The government will remain shut down until at least Monday, Oct. 20. It will be the 20th day of the shutdown.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Thursday that Republicans did not offer any proposal to vote to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, putting congressional leaders at odds as the government shutdown drags on, and the finger-pointing continues.

"Look, we're not negotiating in public. Plain and simple," Schumer, D-N.Y., said when asked if Thune had made the offer. "Leader Thune has not come to me with any proposal at this point."

Throughout the 16-day shutdown, Republicans have maintained they will not negotiate with Democrats while the government is shut down. But Democrats are not swayed by the promise of negotiations in the future – pushing for an agreement that addresses healthcare and also reopens the government.

"The American people are facing one of the most devastating crises they have faced in terms of cost, and we still have not heard crickets of any negotiation with Johnson or with Thune," Schumer said. "The Republicans are on the defensive. They keep changing their stories and changing their arguments, but we are on the side of the American people."

ABC News' John Parkinson