A look at previous government shutdowns and how they ended
September 29, 2025
Party leaders in Congress have long criticized government shutdowns as toxic and destructive. Yet Congress often finds itself at the brink of one as the two major political parties’ differences grow more intractable each year. This time, Democrats are threatening to vote against keeping the government open Oct. 1. Democrats say they won’t budge unless Republicans extend health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year. Republicans say they don’t want to add complicated policy to their “clean” stopgap funding bill. In President Donald Trump’s first term, he led the country into its longest shutdown with demands Congress give him money for a border wall. The Republican president retreated after 35 days.