Government Shutdowns
Plain words
A “government shutdown” happens when Congress and the President do not agree on money bills in time. Some parts of the federal government close until they reach a deal.
This page lists shutdowns and funding gaps, who controlled the House, Senate, and presidency, and the main issue. Some funding gaps did not close offices; those rows are labeled.
Lengths count complete unfunded days, excluding the date funding was restored. Brief same-day lapses show “Less than 1.”
On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Start date | Funding restored | Full days | House control | Senate control | President | Main issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading shutdown records… | ||||||
Sources and counting notes
- CRS funding-gap chronology (May 26, 2026); House Historian shutdown classifications. Each row also links its sources.
- House and Senate party-control history. Control means the chamber majority, not that a party could pass every bill alone.
- Start dates are the first unfunded dates, not the preceding funding-expiration dates. CRS full-day counts can be one day shorter than news accounts that include the reopening day. Length describes the funding gap, not how many days every employee was furloughed.
- Coverage includes all 23 full-day gaps in the CRS series since 1976 and two additional brief shutdowns: the FTC in May 1980 and February 2018. Other same-day or program-specific lapses are outside this list. Decade filters use the start date.
Notes: Blame is often argued about. This page tries to state the main issues in plain, neutral terms and then lets you see who was in charge during each standoff.