What caused the 1995-1996 government shutdown?
In 1995, the Republicans took the House Majority for the first time since the Eisenhower Administration. They wanted to slash domestic spending and sent President Clinton budgets reflecting their agenda. President Clinton vetoed them. Republicans did not have enough votes to override the veto and the government shut down for 21 days.The public tended to blame the Republicans for the shutdown because they were the ones demanding significant changes. In the end the Republicans backed down on most of their cuts and the President got most of what he wanted.
How long can a government shut down last in America?
Until Congress passes a funding bill, and the President signs it, the part of the government that is unfunded will continue to remain so, there is no “upper limit.”Eventually, employees who are furloughed (told to stay home) and those who are forced to go to work without being paid (like air traffic controllers) will quit and find jobs that actually pay them. If it gets to that point, and our infrastructure begins to suffer, someone is going to blink.(By the way, President Trump isn’t keeping the government shut down. The majority of votes in the House and Senate are in favor of funding both the government and border security, it is Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat, who is blocking the bill to do so. It is the Schumer Shutdown.)
What does it mean that the US federal government is shut down?
Ok, first of all, you need to understand that our government pays its bills in two different ways.There are “mandatory” expenses like Social Security. Mandatory spending happens automatically based on laws that authorize spending over long periods of time. Usually (but not always) mandatory spending has a unique revenue source, like the taxes on wages that contribute specifically to the Social Security fund.Most of the Federal agencies you can name off the top of your head (DOD, EPA, NASA, etc.) are funded primarily by “discretionary” spending. Congress has to succeed at passing a law each year in order for those programs to continue operating. There are twelve separate discretionary spending bills that have to get passed every year. Congress calls them “Appropriations.”Discretionary spending only makes up around 30% of our annual budget, but we talk about it a lot more because Congress is set up to review that spending a lot more often. If there isn’t a bill to fund a particular agency, that agency has to shut down. Off-site contractors can often keep working, for as long as they have money already on contract, but the Federal employees and facilities have to be closed down (unless something exceptional is available to keep programs funded).If a shutdown occurs in the next few weeks, it is likely to affect all discretionary spending, but not any of the mandatory spending. None of the twelve annual appropriations bills have passed, even though we are more than half way through the Federal fiscal year.It’s very stressful for the DC region, as we have a high percentage of Federal employees and on-site contractor staff. There is generally no guarantee that folks will get paid for the enforced time off, even if Congress ends up funding the program you work on. My heart really goes out to the folks who work at EPA.Like all laws, the President must sign the funding bill(s) in order for the money to be available. But if the President vetoes the law, then Congress has a chance to override that veto.Since DOD is funded by discretionary spending, and national security problems don’t stop for our bi-partisan gridlock, there are always employees designated as “essential” that are permitted to keep working. But there may not be anyone available to run their payroll.
What do you think about President Trump saying he will shut down the government if he (and his party) don't get what they want (this wall)?
What do [I] think about President Trump saying he will shut down the government if he (and his party) don't get what they want (this wall)?I think about President Trump the same thing I thought about government shutdowns (actually called Federal Funding Gaps) under President Clinton AND President Obama. These funding gaps have taken place under every Administration since at least President Ford, not always resulting in employee furloughs. It's not new.The unanimous consensus of the previous answers was “Trumps having a fit” and “He's just being a big baby”. So what does that say about your upstanding President Clinton? Little Billy had at least 2 full shutdowns in 1995 and 1996 for a total of 27 days [Nov. 14-19, 1995/Dec. 16, 1995-Jan. 6, 1996). Your demigod, President Obama had at least one [Oct. 1–16, 2013].During the 2013 shutdown, Standard & Poor's, the financial ratings agency, stated on October 16 that the shutdown had "to date taken $24 billion out of the economy," and "shaved at least 0.6 percent off annualized fourth-quarter 2013 GDP growth."[4] Wikipedia- Gov. ShutdownsFunding gaps and employee furloughs are not restricted just to the Federal Government either. There has been a minimum of 15 State furloughs with California having the longest furlough I found at 63 days. For more details, see LA Times, Aug. 30, 1992 [D. WEINTRAUB/J. GILLAM]. There was even a county wide furlough in Erie County, NY.So in summary? I don't waste much time at all thinking about President Trump saying he will shut down the government. It's nothing more than a political tactic used by all politicians.