Why Do We Have Government Shutdowns?

Congressional dysfunction and partisan gridlock keep pushing the government toward shutdowns

The big picture

Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through March 14, 2025—a stop-gap measure to buy more time for full-year appropriations negotiations. However, these negotiations may be especially turbulent given the likely unlawful funding freeze order from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which paused federal loans and grants before later being rescinded.

The administration’s actions have already fueled legal battles, and with a narrow Republican majority in the House and a divided Senate, getting a full-year funding bill passed will be challenging. As Congress continues governing by crisis, government shutdowns have become more frequent, largely due to hyperpartisan gridlock and a failure to complete annual appropriations bills on time.

Zooming in

Congress’ failure to complete appropriations leads to shutdowns

The Constitution and the Antideficiency Act require that no money can be spent unless Congress passes appropriations bills. When Congress fails to approve spending in time, the government shuts down, and affected agencies halt operations or continue work without pay.

• The Constitution (Article I, Section 9) states:
  “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”
• The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal agencies from spending money without congressional approval.
• A 1980 legal interpretation still in effect today states that federal employees cannot work during a lapse in funding—leading to furloughs and agency closures during shutdowns.

Why has passing appropriations bills become so difficult?

Congress has failed to pass full appropriations on time for decades. Since the 1974 Congressional Budget Act, Congress has only passed all 12 appropriations bills on time in four years: FY 1977, FY 1989, FY 1995, and FY 1997.

• Since 2011, Congress has gone years without passing a single appropriations bill on time.
• Since FY 2011, only six regular appropriations bills have been passed on time.
• For the past five years, Congress has failed to pass any appropriations bills before the fiscal deadline.

This failure stems from increased hyperpartisanship and the politicization of government spending. Rather than funding the government through regular order, Congress relies on omnibus spending bills and continuing resolutions (CRs) to avoid shutdowns at the last minute.

The 12 regular appropriations bills

Each year, Congress is supposed to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund government agencies and programs. However, instead of passing these bills separately, Congress often bundles them into a single massive bill—an omnibus bill—or funds the government with temporary CRs.

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Congress’ failure to pass these bills on time leads to:

• Government shutdowns when funding expires.
• Omnibus bills packed with unrelated legislation.
• Last-minute CRs that fail to address long-term funding priorities.

Independent lens

Congress has spent decades failing to do its most basic job: passing appropriations on time. Both parties are responsible, and the current system incentivizes dysfunction. Instead of responsible budgeting, lawmakers rely on manufactured crises to push through last-minute spending bills.

• The House and Senate refuse to follow their own deadlines, leaving agencies scrambling to prepare for shutdowns.
• Continuing resolutions (CRs) aren’t real solutions—they just delay the inevitable fight over spending.
• The public suffers when essential services get shut down due to partisan gridlock.

The solution? Congress must prioritize passing regular appropriations bills—on time and through regular order. If Congress continues playing political games with government funding, independent voters may be the ones to hold them accountable at the ballot box.

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