Washington Post: “There are really three political parties in Washington, according to an old saying: Democrats, Republicans and appropriators.”

“The latter are members of Congress lucky enough to get placed on the powerful committees that dole out roughly $1.6 trillion in federal funds for the military and government services each year. They have traditionally shared a common goal of jealously guarding their tremendous ability to steer federal resources. It’s a bond that often defies the political rules of gravity that govern everything else on Capitol Hill.”

“But now, those ties are being tested like never before: The White House was aggressively encroaching on Congress’s power of the purse even before it began using the ongoing government shutdown as justification for rolling back billions more in spending.”

Punchbowl News: “Congress faces a critical moment. Especially the GOP-run House, which has pretty much given up any pretense of relevancy during this impasse. An institution that voluntarily shuts itself down for weeks in the midst of a huge clash over federal spending — something that impacts all Americans — isn’t playing a real role in governing.”

“Yes, the House passed a CR 23 days ago. But Senate Democrats, who instigated this crisis, have rejected it seven times now. So maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board.”

“We’ve told you that the cumulative impacts of a shutdown grow the longer it lasts, and that’s the case here.”

Wall Street Journal: The government shutdown is finally starting to bite.