U.S. Government Shutdown History

Statue of libertyA government shutdown last week would've been the 13th in all U.S. government shutdown history.

It was narrowly avoided when a stopgap measure passed through Congress just hours before the Sept. 30 midnight deadline.

But this was only a temporary solution - the shutdown still looms...

You see, the stopgap legislation finances the government through Dec. 11. That provides extra time to negotiate a more wide-ranging budget deal that would carry past the 2016 presidential election. Largely at issue is a fight over federal funding for nonprofit Planned Parenthood due to its practice of supplying aborted fetus tissue for scientific research.

Now Congress and U.S. President Barack Obama have 65 days to reach a resolution - otherwise, a government shutdown will happen right as we enter into the holiday season.

"The American people deserve far better than last-minute, short-term legislating," Obama administration spokesman Josh Earnest said in pressing for a broader, longer-lasting budget deal.

"It is to my great dismay that we are at this point again, requiring a temporary Band-Aid to buy us time to do our duty," chairman of the Appropriations Committee Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) said.

What Is the Antideficiency Act?
The Antideficiency Act (ADA) is legislation enacted in 1884 (with major revisions in 1950) that prevents the incurring of obligations or the making of expenditures in excess of the amount available in appropriations or funds. In other words, it prevents the federal government from entering into services or contracts when it doesn’t have the funding to do so.

Funding gaps like this didn't used to lead to government shutdowns. But in 1980, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter requested opinions from then-Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti on the Antideficiency Act as it pertains to a funding gap.

Civiletti stated that all government work must stop if Congress does not agree to pay for it - and that's where these shutdowns all began. (He later issued a second opinion that said "essential" government services could continue even in the absence of a spending bill.)

Since 1980, there have been 12 government shutdowns.

Here's a look at U.S. government shutdown history...

List of U.S. Government Shutdown History

**Data sourced and modified from Wikipedia.org

Red denotes Republican Party
Blue denotes Democratic Party

Year

Dates

President

Senate

House

Details

1981

Nov. 20 - 23

Reagan

Rep

Dem

Former President Ronald Reagan pledged to veto any spending bill that failed to include at least half of the $8.4 billion in domestic budget cuts that he proposed. Although the Republican-controlled Senate passed a bill that met his specifications, the Democrat-controlled House insisted on larger cuts to defense, as well as pay raises for Congress and senior civil servants. A temporary bill restored spending through Dec. 15 and gave Congress time to work out a deal.

1982

Sept. 30 - Oct. 2

Reagan

Rep

Dem

Congress passed the required spending bills a day late.

1982

Dec. 17 - 21

Reagan

Rep

Dem

Congress wished to fund job programs, but Reagan vowed to veto. The House also opposed plans to fund the MX missile. The shutdown ended after Congress abandoned their jobs plan, but Reagan was forced to yield on funding for both the MX and Pershing II missiles.

1983

Nov. 10 - 14

Reagan

Rep

Dem

The House increased education funding but cut defense and foreign aid spending, which led to a dispute with Reagan. Eventually, the House reduced their proposed education funding and also accepted funding for the MX missile. However, the foreign aid and defense cuts remained, and oil and gas leasing was banned in federal wildlife refuges. Abortion funding via government employee health insurance was also prohibited.

1984

Sept. 30 - Oct. 3

Reagan

Rep

Dem

The House wanted to link the budget to both a crime-fighting package Reagan supported and a water projects package he did not. The Senate additionally tied the budget to a civil rights measure designed to overturn Grove City v. Bell. Reagan proposed a compromise where he abandoned his crime package in exchange for Congress dropping the water projects package. A deal was not struck, and a three-day spending extension was passed instead.

1984

Oct. 3 - 5

Reagan

Rep

Dem

The Oct. 3 spending extension expired, forcing a shutdown. Congress dropped its proposed water and civil rights packages, while Reagan kept his crime package. Funding for aid to the Nicaraguan Contras was also passed.

1986

Oct. 16 - 18

Reagan

Rep

Dem

Disputes over multiple issues forced a shutdown. The House dropped many of their demands in exchange for a vote on their welfare package and a concession of the sale of then-government-owned Conrail.

1987

Dec. 18 - 20

Reagan

Dem

Dem

The House and Senate opposed funding for the Contras and wanted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to renew enforcement of the "Fairness Doctrine." They yielded on the "Fairness Doctrine" issue in exchange for non-lethal aid to the Contras.

1990

Oct. 5 - 9

G. H.W. Bush

Dem

Dem

Former President George H. W. Bush vowed to veto any continuing resolution that was not paired with a deficit reduction package and did so when one reached his desk. The House failed to override his veto before a shutdown occurred. Congress passed a continuing resolution with a deficit reduction package to end the shutdown.

1995

Nov. 13 - 19

Clinton

Rep

Rep

Former President Bill Clinton vetoed a continuing resolution passed by Congress. A deal was reached allowing for 75% funding for four weeks, and Clinton agreed to a seven-year timetable for a balanced budget.

1995-1996

Dec. 15 - Jan. 6

Clinton

Rep

Rep

The Republicans demanded that President Clinton propose a budget with the seven-year timetable using Congressional Budget Office (CBO) numbers, rather than Clinton's Office of Management and Budget numbers. Clinton refused. Eventually, the parties passed a compromise budget.

2013

Sept. 30 - Oct. 17

Obama

Dem

Rep

Due to language defunding or delaying the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare), the government failed to pass a substantial funding bill. Funding for active military pay and back wages for furloughed workers was agreed to, but the Senate and White House rejected the House’s small funding measures. Meanwhile, the House rejected the Senate’s measures that didn’t delay/defund Obamacare. On Oct. 16, Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to a deal that extended funding for government services until Jan. 15, making only minor adjustments to the ACA and other funding. This resolution was quickly adopted by both houses in bipartisan numbers and was signed early next morning by President Obama.

**Data from Wikipedia.org

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Playing Chicken with the $18 Trillion U.S. Economy: The full cost of the last government shutdown two years ago was staggering - it delivered a $24 billion blow to the U.S. economy and taxpayers. Now we may be about to repeat government shutdown history on Dec. 11. "The way I see it, wingnuts on both sides of the aisle are playing chicken with an $18 trillion economy and world markets once again," Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald said. Here are a few costs of a government shutdown in 2015 we can anticipate...

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