Most of the government shutdowns since 1977 have ended within a week or less, congressional records show. This is the fourth government shutdown to occur under President Donald Trump, but the first of his second term. The longest shutdown in U.S. history happened in 2019, during Trump’s first term.

The concept of a government shutdown is still relatively new in the U.S. There have been 21 federal government shutdowns since the 1970s. The longest government shutdown in U.S. history took place during President Trump's first term, between 2018 and 2019.

House Speaker Mike Johnson blames Democratic obstruction for the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 13th day since Oct. 1.