Welp, we’re living through the new longest government shutdown ever
It's officially the longest U.S. government shutdown at 36 days. Here's what to know.
With no immediate end in sight, the record for the longest government shutdown in history has been broken.
Congress shows no signs of making a deal, reports say, but some senators told reporters Monday that progress was being made.
The government shutdown’s effects on Philadelphia — and the rest of the country — are racking up. National parks and museums are closed or facing staff shortages (including Philly’s Liberty Bell, which has been closed since the start of the shutdown), federal workers — including air traffic controllers — are going unpaid, and heating bill assistance and food benefits from SNAP have been at least partially cut off or delayed.
Here are answers to your frequently asked questions:
How many days has the government been shut down?
As of Wednesday, the shutdown has been going on for 36 days, breaking a previous record for the longest in U.S. history.
What was previously the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and what happened?
Until now, the longest government shutdown took place during President Donald Trump’s first term, from December 2018 through January 2019.
It lasted 35 days and was caused by a standoff between Trump and Democrats after he demanded a federally funded border wall. The shutdown ended after East Coast airports faced major delays when unpaid air traffic controllers stopped coming to work.
While airports are seeing delays nationwide, a Philadelphia International Airport spokesperson said Monday that the local airport was running mostly on schedule without significant issues. But on Tuesday, PHL said it would close two security checkpoints at the request of the TSA due to staffing shortages.
The third-longest shutdown was during Bill Clinton’s presidency and lasted 21 days from December 1995 through January 1996. It focused on Clinton’s major spending cuts.
How many times has the government shut down under Trump?
This is Trump’s third government shutdown. Two occurred during his first term:
In January 2018, a three-day shutdown was sparked by disputes over immigration, especially the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
From December 2018 through January 2019, the now-second-longest government shutdown lasted 35 days and centered on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Starting on Oct. 1, the current government shutdown — which is the longest in U.S. history — centers on a dispute over expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits, which Democrats are calling to extend to prevent insurance rates from spiking nationwide.
How often does the government vote to end the shutdown?
It’s complicated.
Government shutdowns happen when Congress can’t pass spending legislation before the funding expires. To end a shutdown, Congress has to pass a new spending bill or a continuing resolution, extending the old spending bill’s terms. From there, Trump would have to sign the new bill or continuing resolution into law.
As far as how often the government votes: There isn’t a fixed schedule or amount of meetings required.
As of Tuesday, the Senate rejected the House-passed funding patch for the 14th time.
When will the government shutdown end?
If we knew that, we’d be playing the lottery.
Politico reports there’s some newfound hope that a bipartisan agreement could come soon, thanks to private talks that are ramping up among a small group of rank-and-file lawmakers.
Still, talking points among party leaders remain polarized.
Even gamblers are weighing in on the timing of it all.
According to Polymarket, a U.S. cryptocurrency-based prediction market, there’s 98% betting odds on the shutdown ending by Jan. 31 and only 11% odds on it ending by Friday.