Senate rejects rival plans for ending shutdown; talks start

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., third from right, speaks to reporters on Thursday as she walks out of the Senate Chamber following two failed votes on ending the partial government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON — A splintered Senate swatted down competing Democratic and Republican plans for ending the 34-day partial government shutdown on Thursday, but the twin setbacks prompted a burst of bipartisan talks aimed at temporarily halting the longest-ever closure of federal agencies and the damage it’s inflicting around the country.