History of US Shutdowns: From Clinton’s budget clash to Trump’s wall fight, a look at how they ended

The US government shut down large parts of its operations on Wednesday after bitter partisan divisions blocked a funding agreement between Congress and the White House, triggering what could become a drawn-out standoff with the potential loss of thousands of federal jobs.

With no clear path to a resolution, federal agencies warned that the shutdown –the 15th since 1981– would delay the release of the September employment report, disrupt air travel, suspend scientific research, withhold pay from US troops, and furlough about 750,000 federal workers at a cost of roughly $400 million per day.

Lawmakers on both sides have long acknowledged that shutdowns inflict more harm than good, calling them politically toxic and economically damaging for ordinary Americans.

“Shutdowns are always a bad idea,” said former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in 2024. Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the shutdown narrowly avoided earlier this year a potential “disaster.” “I don’t see how anyone benefits from a shutdown, least of all the American people,” added Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

History suggests such standoffs rarely end well. Federal employees often bear the brunt, and this time, the White House has warned that hundreds– possibly thousands — of workers could face layoffs, a stark escalation from previous shutdowns when furloughed staff were typically paid retroactively once the standoff ended.

Also Read: Government Shutdown Hits US: From assistance programs to national parks—What stays open and what’s affected? 

December 2018 – January 2019: Trump’s longest shutdown

Two years into his first term, President Donald Trump initiated the longest shutdown in US history over demands for funding a US-Mexico border wall. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to negotiate until the government reopened. After 35 days, airport delays and missed paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal workers forced a resolution.

January 2018: Dreamers and a three-day shutdown

The government shut down for three days as Democrats insisted that budget legislation include protections for young immigrants known as “Dreamers.” The standoff ended after Senate Majority Leader McConnell promised a vote on the issue. Both parties tried to claim credit, but compromise came quickly.

October 2013: The tea party shutdown

A 16-day shutdown occurred when the Tea Party faction of House Republicans, backed by Sen. Ted Cruz, tried to block then president Obama’s health care law. They also blocked approval to raise the Treasury borrowing limit, risking default. Bipartisan Senate negotiations ended the shutdown with Republicans gaining no major concessions.

Also Read: US on brink of first government shutdown in 7 years

December 1995 – January 1996: Budget showdown under Clinton

Republicans led by Speaker Newt Gingrich forced a three-week shutdown to pressure then president Bill Clinton into agreeing to a balanced budget. The strategy backfired politically, with Republicans blamed and Clinton winning reelection later that year.

1970s–1980s: Frequent short shutdowns

Under then presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, short shutdowns occurred almost every year, with the longest lasting 17 days in 1978. Legal rulings in 1980 and 1981 increased the impact of shutdowns by requiring government operations to halt, unlike earlier minor funding gaps with little real-world effect.

History shows that shutdowns rarely deliver political victories. Instead, federal employees and ordinary Americans bear the brunt, with lawmakers often negotiating last-minute compromises to reopen government.