As of early Friday, the federal government has entered a shutdown.
Government shutdowns have become less common since 2000, but strong political feelings and disagreements in Congress have sometimes led to longer shutdowns in recent years.
Since 1976, the U.S. government has experienced 22 shutdowns. Each one happens for different reasons, and usually, the party that causes the shutdown doesn’t achieve its main goal.
The most recent long shutdown was over funding for Obamacare. Democratic leaders wanted Republicans to keep paying for certain parts of the healthcare law, but those payments eventually stopped. The shutdown lasted 43 days.
Before that, a 34-day shutdown occurred because President Trump wanted money to build a wall on the border with Mexico. Democrats in Congress refused to provide the funds.
The current shutdown is different. President Trump and Democratic leaders agreed to a short-term funding extension.
The Senate approved this deal, but some House Republicans are not happy. They want to see certain conservative priorities included in the bill, like requiring voter ID.
