U.S. federal government shutdown becomes the longest shutdown in American history following a failed 14th vote by the U.S.

The U.S. federal government shutdown becomes the longest shutdown in American history following a failed 14th vote by the U.S. Senate, surpassing the 2018–2019 shutdown that occurred during President Donald Trump's first term.

By Jonathan McConnell1 min read

Email Report an error

Image not availableNot all original photographs have been retained in the digital archive.

The U.S. federal government shutdown became the longest in American history on 4 November 2025, following a failed 14th vote in the U.S. Senate. This surpassed the previous record of 35 days set during the 2018–2019 shutdown under President Donald Trump.

The shutdown occurred after Congress failed to approve funding for federal agencies, resulting in the suspension of non-essential government operations. The 1980 and 1981 legal opinions by then-Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti established that agencies lacked authority to continue operating during a funding gap, a precedent that has governed shutdowns since.

The current shutdown now exceeds the 21-day 1995 shutdown, which had previously been the longest before the 2018–2019 period. No further details were provided in the source regarding the immediate causes of the failed 14th vote or the political negotiations surrounding it.