Government shutdown updates: Senate vote marks step towards ending federal shutdown

Senate Democrats are expected to huddle as a caucus behind closed doors on Thursday -- the 37th day of the government shutdown.

Democrats will meet for a caucus lunch hosted by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, an aide confirmed to ABC News.

The ongoing government shutdown is expected to be a focus of those discussions. A similar lunch by Democrats on Tuesday lasted nearly three hours as Democrats attempted to sort out a path forward.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

As airports across the country deal with flight delays and brace for cancellations, ABC News spoke with an FAA employee who has been working at Dulles International Airport without pay for the last 36 days.

Cleverson Schmidt is an FAA radar technician at Dulles and a union representative. He is a father and a veteran. He says the impact of the shutdown is two-fold: putting a strain on both his family and air safety.

"It's terrifying and stressful," Schmidt said. "I have a family that depends on me. I have a wife that works part time. She has health complications. I have a 15-year-old son who depends on me."

Schmidt said staying vigilant is a key part of the job. As a radar technician, he said they are the "voice, radios and eyes through scopes" for air traffic controllers.

"They're able to determine weather patterns," he said. "Airplanes land safely using our flight slopes." But Schmidt said patience is wearing thin as employees are not being paid.

"We wish to stay vigilant -- we want to, and we have every intent to, but at some point if it's between me and my pride versus my son going without not eating or my wife not being able to take her medication, I will be forced to make that decision, and the investment the FAA and my government made in my training will be gone."

Schmidt said the staffing shortages have a domino effect.

"That culmination, that increase of stress is causing people to get sick more often" or simply to "take time off, maybe because they have to go and do a side gig, just so they can feed their kid."

"That puts additional stress on technicians, other technicians," Schmidt said. "So, you're adding stress on [an] already strained system.

Existing staffing challenges have been made "exponentially" made worse by the shutdown, Schmidt said. "We're exhausted now."

Asked how much that exhaustion is compromising air safety, Schmidt replied, "That compromise goes up every single day."

Addressing lawmakers, Schmidt said, "Infrastructure is not something that should be toyed with."

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Noah Minnie

Trump reaffirmed his support of eliminating the filibuster but said that he’s not willing to lose relationships he has with Republican senators over it.

“Do I want to lose my relationship with those Republicans that have been very good to me for a long period of time, that voted against the crooked Democrats on impeachment and everything else. Do I want to lose them over it? I think it's a very important point,” Trump told Fox News in an interview taped earlier Wednesday. “You ever have people that are wrong but you can't convince them? So do you destroy your whole relationship with them? Or not? I'd be close to losing it, but probably not.”

But hours later he again warned Republicans that they would “rue the day” that they didn’t eliminate the filibuster.

"Don't be weak. Don't be stupid. Republicans, fight, fight, fight, win, win, win. We will immediately end the extortionist shutdown, get all of our agenda passed and make life so good for Americans that these deranged Democrat politicians will never again have the chance to destroy America," Trump said on his social media platform.

"They tried to destroy your country. Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn't terminate the filibuster. Be tough, be smart and win. This is much bigger than the shutdown. This is the survival of our country. Terminate the filibuster and let's live the great life that this country is capable of living in," Trump continued.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Frustrations are boiling over as a confrontation unfolded between a rank-and-file Democrat and Speaker Mike Johnson on the steps of the House of Representatives.

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan began shouting at the speaker as he held his daily news conference.

"I'm asking you a question if you're ready to have a conversation with the other side. You represent all of us. You are the speaker for all of us, sir," Houlahan said. "You have an obligation not to just speak lies at the American people. You have obligation to call the leadership of both parties and bring us together and solve this problem together, Mr. Speaker."

It's unclear whether Speaker Johnson immediately recognized Houlahan as a rival across the aisle, attempting to move on from the disruption and field a question from a credentialed reporter.

"I can't hear you because we have someone who doesn't respect the rights of their colleagues over here," Johnson said before turning his attention to Houlahan. "I'd love to talk with you. Wait, wait, wait, I'd love to talk with you. Come to my office."

Despite the invitation, Houlahan continued to challenge the speaker, until an officer with the U.S. Capitol Police approached her. Houlahan then identified herself as a member of Congress, pulling a necklace from beneath her coat with her member pendant. After the interruption, Houlahan resumed her call for the speaker to bring an end to the shutdown.

After going back-and-forth, Johnson cut off the interruption for good. Returning to his office after the news conference, Johnson called Houlahan's actions "a publicity stunt."

-ABC News' John Parkinson