The Longest Government Shutdown in US History Lasted 35 Days

Spanning the holidays and into the new year, the partial government shutdown of 2018-2019 set a new record for political gridlock. This impasse occurred when Congress and the President failed to agree on appropriations bills needed to fund government operations. The central conflict was a demand for over $5 billion in funding for a border wall, a key presidential campaign promise. Without a signed budget, federal agencies that had not yet been funded were legally required to cease all non-essential functions, triggering the shutdown and breaking the previous record of 21 days set in 1995-96.

The consequences were felt across the country. Of the roughly 800,000 affected federal employees, many were furloughed, while others deemed "essential," like TSA agents and Coast Guard personnel, were forced to work without pay. This created immense financial hardship for families who missed multiple paychecks. The shutdown's ripple effects were widespread, from overflowing trash cans in unstaffed national parks and suspended food safety inspections to delays in processing tax refunds. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office later estimated that the five-week shutdown reduced the country's projected economic output by billions of dollars.