List of federal shutdowns[edit]
This list includes only funding gaps that led to actual employee furloughs. Not all funding gaps have led to shutdowns, even after the Civiletti opinions of 1980 and 1981.[6] For example, a brief funding gap in 1982 did not involve furloughs, with nonessential workers told to report to work but to cancel meetings and not perform their ordinary duties;[20] a three-day funding gap in November 1983 reportedly led to no disruption to government services;[6] and in 1984 it was considered rare for a funding gap to cause federal employees to be actually ordered to cease work.[21]
On November 23, 1981, 241,000 federal employees were furloughed for one day.[22] The shutdown occurred because President Ronald Reagan vetoed a spending bill that contained a smaller set of spending cuts than he had proposed.[23] The shutdown was estimated to cost taxpayers $80–90 million in back pay and other expenses.[22] Not all government departments shut down during the funding gap.[24]
On October 4, 1984, 500,000 federal employees were furloughed for one afternoon.[22] This shutdown occurred due to the inclusion of a water projects package and a civil rights measure that Reagan opposed. The bill was passed the following day after Congress removed these programs, and also included a compromise on funding of the Nicaraguan Contras.[23] The shutdown only covered nine out of the 13 appropriations bills that had not been passed at that point.[21] Back pay was estimated at $65 million.[22]
On October 17, 1986, 500,000 federal employees were furloughed for one afternoon over a wide range of issues.[22][23] The cost was estimated at $62 million in lost work.[22]
Main article:
United States federal government shutdown of 1990
The 1990 shutdown occurred over Columbus Day weekend, from Saturday, October 6 through Monday, October 8.[22] The shutdown stemmed from the fact that a deficit reduction package negotiated by President George H. W. Bush contained tax increases, despite his campaign promise of "read my lips: no new taxes",[25] leading to a revolt led by then House Minority Whip Newt Gingrich that defeated the initial appropriations package.[26][27] Because the shutdown occurred over a weekend, the effects of the shutdown were lessened, with the National Parks and the Smithsonian museums being the most visible closures.[22] Around 2,800 workers were furloughed, with the government losing $2.57 million in lost revenue and back wages.[28]
1995–1996[edit]
Main article:
United States federal government shutdowns of 1995–1996
The two shutdowns of 1995 and 1995–96 were the result of conflicts between Democratic President Bill Clinton and the Republican Congress over funding for Medicare, education, the environment, and public health in the 1996 federal budget. The government shut down after Clinton vetoed the spending bill the Republican Party-controlled Congress sent him. Government workers were furloughed and non-essential services suspended during November 14–19, 1995, and from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996, for a total of 27 days. The major players were President Clinton and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich.
The first of the two shutdowns caused the furlough of about 800,000 workers, while the second caused about 284,000 workers to be furloughed.[1]
Main article:
United States federal government shutdown of 2013
The 2013 shutdown occurred during October 1–16, 2013. During the shutdown, approximately 800,000 federal employees were indefinitely furloughed, and another 1.3 million were required to report to work without known payment dates.[29] The deadlock centered on the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014. The Republican-led House of Representatives, in part encouraged by conservative senators such as Ted Cruz[30] and conservative groups such as Heritage Action,[31][32][33] offered several continuing resolutions with language delaying or defunding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly known as "Obamacare"). The Democratic-led Senate passed several amended continuing resolutions for maintaining funding at then-current sequestration levels with no additional conditions. Political fights over this and other issues between the House on one side and President Barack Obama and the Senate on the other led to a budget impasse which threatened massive disruption.[34][35][36] Late in the evening of October 16, 2013, Congress passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, and the President signed it shortly after midnight on October 17, ending the government shutdown and suspending the debt limit until February 7, 2014.[37]