The History of Federal Shutdowns: Is This One Different?
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The History of Federal Shutdowns: Is This One Different?
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Democrats point out that the Republicans control the Presidency, the Senate, and the House.
Meet the blame game.
History of Shutdowns
Many shutdowns are initiated by disputes over major policy priorities or budgetary approaches. For example, the deadlock that led to the longest shutdown in U.S. history under President Donald Trump in 2018-2019 was triggered by a bitter dispute over border wall funding, lasting 35 days.
President Bill Clinton saw two lengthy shutdowns in the mid-1990s, as Congress sought major spending cuts and changes to entitlement programs—most notably Medicare and Medicaid.
Shutdowns have also stemmed from fights over health care laws, abortion funding in Medicaid, defense spending, and education priorities.
Many occur in clusters due to unresolved issues recurring across appropriations bills and fiscal calendars.
Impact: Disrupted Services and Economic Costs
Shutdowns lead to widespread furloughs—hundreds of thousands of federal employees are sent home, some essential personnel work without pay, and many national parks, museums, and regulatory offices close or restrict operations. The 2013 shutdown under President Obama, which lasted 16 days, resulted in the furlough of nearly 800,000 federal workers and cost the U.S. economy more than $24 billion.
Certain periods—like the Reagan administration—saw frequent, shorter shutdowns, typically resolved in days. In contrast, the recent decades have featured fewer but sometimes protracted shutdowns with broad economic and personal impact.
Now, Is This One Different?
Now, Trump is threatening much more than the furloughs of federal workers. He is threatening the permanent cuts of tens of thousands of workers' jobs.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued a statement on Tuesday night that said in part, “President Trump controls every branch of government and his failed policies are about to cause insurance premiums to spike upwards of 75 percent for tens of millions of Americans, with millions more set to lose their coverage and access to health care in the weeks ahead. There is urgent need for bipartisan action, but instead, President Trump is forcing a government shutdown.”
Timeline of All Federal Shutdowns: Dates and Durations
Below is a list of federal government shutdowns since 1976, with each start date, president, and the length:
