Denver food banks surge as SNAP benefits are suspended
The Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver is experiencing increased demand as SNAP recipients seek assistance as food assistance benefits expire.
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history was officially announced on Wednesday, November 5, as bipartisan efforts in the Senate to reopen the federal government continue to be hampered by a five-week budget impasse.
The Senate voted for the 14th time on Tuesday to break the deadlock, with Democrats calling for an extension of an expiring federal tax credit that helps Americans pay for private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say the government needs to be reopened before health talks begin.
“This situation has gone on long enough, it’s caused enough suffering to the American people, and I think there are some people who recognize that it’s time to end it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters, adding he remained optimistic about finding a “way out.”
When did the current government shutdown begin?
The current shutdown began shortly after midnight on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a new budget, and is the fourth shutdown of Trump’s presidency.
How long has the U.S. government shutdown lasted? See the timeline
As of October 1, there have been 22 federal government shutdowns over the past 50 years. Here’s when they happened and how long they lasted.
- 1976: Under Gerald Ford. It lasted 11 days.
- 1977: Under Jimmy Carter. It lasted 12 days.
- 1977: Under Carter. It lasted 8 days.
- 1977: Under Carter. It lasted 8 days.
- 1978: Under Carter. It lasted 17 days.
- 1979: Under Carter. It lasted 11 days.
- 1981: Under the Ronald Reagan administration. It lasted two days.
- 1982: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted one day.
- 1982: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted 3 days.
- 1983: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted 3 days.
- 1984: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted two days.
- 1984: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted one day.
- 1986: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted one day.
- 1987: Under the Reagan administration. It lasted one day.
- 1990: Under the George H.W. Bush administration. It lasted 4 days.
- 1995: Under the Bill Clinton administration. It lasted 5 days.
- 1996: Under Clinton. It lasted 21 days.
- 2013: Under the Barack Obama administration. It lasted 17 days.
- 2018: Under the Donald Trump administration. It lasted 3 days.
- 2018: Under the Trump administration. It lasted several hours.
- 2019: Under the Trump administration. The period lasted 35 days and cost the economy about $3 billion, or 0.02% of GDP, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
- 2025: Under Trump. It started on October 1st and continues for 36 days.
Contributor: Francesca Chambers for USA TODAY, Saman Shafiq, Terry Moseley, Zach Anderson, Joey Garrison, Bert Jansen. Reuters
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
