With another partial US government closure looming, let’s take a look at how often Congress and the White House have been around for budgets since 1976.
The Trump administration is preparing for a layoff for government shutdown
The White House is asking federal agencies to prepare plans for mass shootings if the government is partially shut down next week, and the latest clash in the high-stakes conflict between President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats partially shut down.
Prior to the meeting between lawmakers and President Donald Trump on Monday, September 29, Republican leaders continue to blame Democrats for not approving a short-term bill to avoid government shutdown within two days.
Without the Funding Act, some of the government will be closed on Wednesday, October 1st, the first day of fiscal year 2026. Republicans control both Congresses, but temporary measures to keep the government open will require at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate. That means you need some democratic votes.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Hicombe Jeffries, both New York Democrats, rejected the short-term bill and called for the law to rescind recent cuts to Republican healthcare programs. The president summoned both parties’ Congressional leaders to the White House on Monday, September 29th, finding a resolution before the looming closure.
How long has the US government closure lasted?
Over the past 50 years, there have been 21 federal closures. The longest government closure that lasted for 35 days occurred between December 2018 and January 2019.
If Congress fails to act before 11:59pm on September 30th, thousands of federal workers from NASA to national parks could be scrapped, destroying a wide range of services. Federal courts will need to close, which could delay grants to small businesses.
- 1976: Under President Gerald Ford. It lasted for 11 days.
- 1977: Under President Jimmy Carter. It lasted for 12 days.
- 1977: Under Carter. It lasted for 8 days.
- 1977: Under Carter. It lasted for 8 days.
- 1978: Under Carter. It lasted for 17 days.
- 1979: Under Carter. It lasted for 11 days.
- 1981: Under President Ronald Reagan. It lasted for two days.
- 1982: Under Reagan. It continued one day.
- 1982: Under Reagan. It lasted for three days.
- 1983: Under Reagan. It lasted for three days.
- 1984: Under Reagan. It lasted for two days.
- 1984: Under Reagan. It continued one day.
- 1986: Under Reagan. It continued one day.
- 1987: Under Reagan. It continued one day.
- 1990: Under George HW Bush. It lasted for four days.
- 1995: Under President Bill Clinton. It lasted for five days.
- 1996: Under Clinton. It lasted for 21 days.
- 2013: Under President Barack Obama. It lasted for 17 days.
- 2018: Under President Donald Trump. It lasted for three days.
- 2018: Under the cards. It lasted for a few hours.
- 2019: Under the cards. The economy lasts for 35 days, costing around $3 billion, equivalent to 0.02% of GDP, according to the Congressional Budget Office.Contributors: Zac Anderson, Joey Garrison and Bart Jansen of USA Today. Reuters
