( KTRS ) Officials say more than 800 private companies doing work for the Department of Human Services haven’t been paid because of the budget stalemate.

Human Services Secretary James Dimas told a Senate appropriations committee Wednesday the agency owes about $168 million in overdue bills since July 1 – when the budget should have taken effect.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats controlling the Legislature continue to bicker over a spending plan for this year.

Dimas presented a fiscal year 2017 budget of about $14 billion. The committee took no action.