Federal Government Shutdown Marks New Year

At 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, the federal government entered its first shutdown of the new year. Although shutdowns in Washington, D.C. are not uncommon, they have become less frequent since the early 2000s. However, issues like increasing partisan divisions, a motivated political base, and legislative gridlock have amplified the duration and impact of these shutdowns in recent years.

Funding Disputes Lead to Government Shutdown

Since 1976, the U.S. has experienced a total of 22 government shutdowns. Each shutdown has its own context, and historically, the party responsible for the closure tends not to win the subsequent policy arguments.

The current shutdown, which has become the longest in U.S. history, is rooted in disagreements over funding for increased Obamacare premium subsidies. Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer from New York, have called on Republicans to either negotiate or fully renew the expired aid, which lapsed last month.

This shutdown, which involves the closure of all federal agencies, has lasted for 43 days so far. The previous shutdown lasted 34 days, from late December 2018 to late January 2019, and it was primarily a standoff over President Trump’s proposed border wall. Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, the incoming House Speaker at the time, refused to allocate additional funds for the wall.

Ultimately, Trump left that record-breaking shutdown without achieving his funding goals. In this new shutdown, entering its third day on Sunday, it’s somewhat of an anomaly. Trump and Schumer had previously struck a deal that effectively replaced a contentious Department of Homeland Security spending bill with a brief two-week funding extension.

Challenges Ahead in Congress

The Senate passed the funding agreement on Friday, but both parties expressed dissatisfaction with the terms. As for the House, the outcome remains uncertain, especially given the staunch opposition from House Republicans, who are seeking some policy victory, like the inclusion of a voter ID law in the funding discussions.