* Data includes funding gaps that have lasted for at least one full day.
* The current budget process was established in 1976. Since then, the government has had 21 funding gaps, resulting in 11 shutdowns for various lengths of time.
* Some funding gaps after 1982 either occurred over a weekend or were too short for affected agencies to begin shutdown procedures before Congress restored funding.
* Before the 1980s, funding gaps did not usually result in government shutdowns. Agencies would continue to operate with the expectation that funding would resume in the future. But since 1982, shortly after the basis for government shutdowns was established, funding gaps have led to full or partial shutdowns more frequently.
* Bonus fact: During the 2013 shutdown which lasted 16 days, the Library of Congress canceled several concerts including Randy Newman.
Yesterday, the ongoing shutdown of the US federal government became the longest in its history, reaching 35 full days (and now we’re at 36 and still counting). This surpassed the previous longest (and most recent) shutdown that lasted from December 21, 2018 to January 25, 2019 during President Trump’s first term, which was fueled by disputes to fund and construct a US–Mexico border wall.
Prior to that, the longest shutdown came under President Clinton (there were 2 shutdowns while he was in office, both during his first term), lasting 21 days from December 15, 1995 to January 6, 1996. Both shutdowns while Clinton was in office happened during a budget standoff with the Republican-controlled Congress led by Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Man, Republicans really suck at this governing thing
Ignoring the “‘no shutdown” lines, because the government didn’t actually shut down during those, Donald Trump is responsible for over half the days the government has been shutdown in all of US history.
He’s at 69 days.
Everyone else combined is 52 days.
That puts 57% of all government shutdowns directly on Trump’s head.
Both longest were Trump with the Republicans controlling everything- what gives
Thus one is worse…. the record it broke. Some agencies got funded earlier as the passed pieces if the budget. DOD was an early one.
No one does shutdowns like Trump does shutdowns.
I wonder how many days the current shutdown would last.
Also i wonder how government employees are supposed to live with no pay?
SO tired of all this winning
The Dealmaker™!
Who knew that being insulting, stubborn, and vitriolic didn’t lead to successful negotiations?
“People are calling it the Big, Beautiful Shutdown. Nobody does shutdowns like you, President Trump, they’re saying. Obama didn’t have a shutdown like this. Dick Cheney? He’s shutdown now, it’s such a shame, and we love Dick Cheney, don’t we? But he didn’t get a shutdown like this. We’re getting numbers like we’ve never had before. A hundred and sixteenth, Five thousand and eleventy three. These are truly – *historic* numbers. Numbers that you, that make you think – *wow*, these are – historic, with regard to number.”
It’s the greatest shutdown, the best. Everyone is saying.
Trump holds all branches both terms and has the longest shutdown in history, both times.
Modern GOP cant govern.
I have a question… possibly a dumb one. How come this data shows all of these shutdowns happening in the last few months of the year? Is there a reason for this?
History will not be kind to this man.
Now add who the president was, his party, and who controlled congress and the house. If you do that you’ll actually be telling a story with data.
Y’know, in the UK, if the parliament fails to fund the government, the Prime Minister is fired, parliament is dissolved, and new elections are held. Just sayin’.
Which one of these was the one when Ted Cruz shut the government down by reading Green Eggs and Ham?
What is the key dispute for the budget that they can’t agree on?
maybe he will double it to be a dick about it
Im going to step a little away from the current politics and say if this is the main impact of the Anti Deficiency Act as revised in 1982, we should roll that back.
This isn’t to say we let the government spend whatever it wants. There should still be consequences for misappropriation, as there have always been since the 1800s, but all I’ve seen is people being hurt, and that is absolutely not what the framers of the Constitution wanted.
Only the best and brightest apparently for 🍊 💩
It’s a real shame that the Republican lead house allowed the Democrats to shut down the government like this…
I’m a millennial. I’m tired of historic events and firsts…
I’m still at a loss as to how you have a shutdown AT ALL when one political party controls the House, Senate, and President.
I hate this timeline
It will end on day 47. IYKYK.
Show to say no matter how they pin this, the bucks stop at his desk…this is his administration and legacy forever, he owns this failure. 😂
This is what you get when you vote in a President who does not give one Adderall riddled hamburdur shit about the people affected by a shutdown.
Trump shutdowns are the biggest and best shutdowns. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.
I’m tired of having these unprecedented events. Can we please stop?
So, the second longest shutdown was also under Trump? It’s almost like he’s an unqualified fuckwit with no leadership qualities or something. Weird.
The government isn’t shut down. Prisons are operating. ICE is still terrorizing immigrant communities and kidnapping US citizens. Wars are continuing. Everyone is under 24/7 mass surveillance. Lavish state dinners and taxpayer funded golf trips are still happening.
What has been shut down is social programs and regulatory agencies.
So we don’t have to pay taxes this year, right?!
Funny how both of the longest shutdowns have been under Trump, the one person who said a government shutdown is a sign of a weak leader
![The longest government shutdown in US history [OC]](https://www.europesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/yhyvmoueenzf1-1099x1024.png)
34 comments
Source: [US House of Representatives](https://history.house.gov/Institution/Shutdown/Government-Shutdowns/)
Tools: Datawrapper, Illustrator
Shoutout to u/CognitiveFeedback who posted a [great shutdown chart](https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/1opzzs2/significant_us_federal_government_shutdowns/) earlier today with political leadership layered on.
Notes:
* Data includes funding gaps that have lasted for at least one full day.
* The current budget process was established in 1976. Since then, the government has had 21 funding gaps, resulting in 11 shutdowns for various lengths of time.
* Some funding gaps after 1982 either occurred over a weekend or were too short for affected agencies to begin shutdown procedures before Congress restored funding.
* Before the 1980s, funding gaps did not usually result in government shutdowns. Agencies would continue to operate with the expectation that funding would resume in the future. But since 1982, shortly after the basis for government shutdowns was established, funding gaps have led to full or partial shutdowns more frequently.
* Bonus fact: During the 2013 shutdown which lasted 16 days, the Library of Congress canceled several concerts including Randy Newman.
Yesterday, the ongoing shutdown of the US federal government became the longest in its history, reaching 35 full days (and now we’re at 36 and still counting). This surpassed the previous longest (and most recent) shutdown that lasted from December 21, 2018 to January 25, 2019 during President Trump’s first term, which was fueled by disputes to fund and construct a US–Mexico border wall.
Prior to that, the longest shutdown came under President Clinton (there were 2 shutdowns while he was in office, both during his first term), lasting 21 days from December 15, 1995 to January 6, 1996. Both shutdowns while Clinton was in office happened during a budget standoff with the Republican-controlled Congress led by Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Man, Republicans really suck at this governing thing
Ignoring the “‘no shutdown” lines, because the government didn’t actually shut down during those, Donald Trump is responsible for over half the days the government has been shutdown in all of US history.
He’s at 69 days.
Everyone else combined is 52 days.
That puts 57% of all government shutdowns directly on Trump’s head.
Both longest were Trump with the Republicans controlling everything- what gives
Thus one is worse…. the record it broke. Some agencies got funded earlier as the passed pieces if the budget. DOD was an early one.
No one does shutdowns like Trump does shutdowns.
I wonder how many days the current shutdown would last.
Also i wonder how government employees are supposed to live with no pay?
SO tired of all this winning
The Dealmaker™!
Who knew that being insulting, stubborn, and vitriolic didn’t lead to successful negotiations?
“People are calling it the Big, Beautiful Shutdown. Nobody does shutdowns like you, President Trump, they’re saying. Obama didn’t have a shutdown like this. Dick Cheney? He’s shutdown now, it’s such a shame, and we love Dick Cheney, don’t we? But he didn’t get a shutdown like this. We’re getting numbers like we’ve never had before. A hundred and sixteenth, Five thousand and eleventy three. These are truly – *historic* numbers. Numbers that you, that make you think – *wow*, these are – historic, with regard to number.”
It’s the greatest shutdown, the best. Everyone is saying.
[I like this one better](https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/s/KtJICMKMey) as it shows all other presidents had a split congress and *still* had shorter shutdowns.
Trump holds all branches both terms and has the longest shutdown in history, both times.
Modern GOP cant govern.
I have a question… possibly a dumb one. How come this data shows all of these shutdowns happening in the last few months of the year? Is there a reason for this?
History will not be kind to this man.
Now add who the president was, his party, and who controlled congress and the house. If you do that you’ll actually be telling a story with data.
Y’know, in the UK, if the parliament fails to fund the government, the Prime Minister is fired, parliament is dissolved, and new elections are held. Just sayin’.
Which one of these was the one when Ted Cruz shut the government down by reading Green Eggs and Ham?
What is the key dispute for the budget that they can’t agree on?
maybe he will double it to be a dick about it
Im going to step a little away from the current politics and say if this is the main impact of the Anti Deficiency Act as revised in 1982, we should roll that back.
This isn’t to say we let the government spend whatever it wants. There should still be consequences for misappropriation, as there have always been since the 1800s, but all I’ve seen is people being hurt, and that is absolutely not what the framers of the Constitution wanted.
Only the best and brightest apparently for 🍊 💩
It’s a real shame that the Republican lead house allowed the Democrats to shut down the government like this…
I’m a millennial. I’m tired of historic events and firsts…
I’m still at a loss as to how you have a shutdown AT ALL when one political party controls the House, Senate, and President.
I hate this timeline
It will end on day 47. IYKYK.
Show to say no matter how they pin this, the bucks stop at his desk…this is his administration and legacy forever, he owns this failure. 😂
This is what you get when you vote in a President who does not give one Adderall riddled hamburdur shit about the people affected by a shutdown.
Trump shutdowns are the biggest and best shutdowns. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.
I’m tired of having these unprecedented events. Can we please stop?
So, the second longest shutdown was also under Trump? It’s almost like he’s an unqualified fuckwit with no leadership qualities or something. Weird.
The government isn’t shut down. Prisons are operating. ICE is still terrorizing immigrant communities and kidnapping US citizens. Wars are continuing. Everyone is under 24/7 mass surveillance. Lavish state dinners and taxpayer funded golf trips are still happening.
What has been shut down is social programs and regulatory agencies.
So we don’t have to pay taxes this year, right?!
Funny how both of the longest shutdowns have been under Trump, the one person who said a government shutdown is a sign of a weak leader
Comments are closed.