On December 21, 2018, the current shutdown began at midnight, it exceeded the previous longest shutdown, of 26 days from 1995 during the Clinton administration, on January 12, 2019; President Trump has threatened to keep the shutdown going for months or even years if Congress does not give funding for the wall.

A government shutdown is when federal programs close; it happens when Congress cannot agree on the budget process, forcing shutdown.
Trump believes the wall is the only solution to the growing security and other issues on the border.

Former President Barak Obama had a government shut downs lasting 16 days due to Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obama Care.

The major difference between the two shutdowns is how long Obama’s lasted compared to how long Trump’s has been going on.

Trump’s government shutdown has harmed many employees and departments.

About 380,000 non-critical employees from nine agencies have been sent home without pay, 420,000 are critical employees who have been reporting to work without pay.

On January 11, Congress passed a bill to reimburse federal exempt employees for lost wages once the shutdown ends however, contract workers will not be reimbursed.

Departments have been affected in different aspects such as: farmers can’t get loans processed, February food stamps could be cut, National Park maintenance has decreased, tax refunds could be delayed, and delays at airports due to TSA workers not showing up or tired from overworking.

This shutdown has affected the economic growth of the country; S&P Global Ratings estimated it cost $1.2 billion for every week the government is closed.

Recently new, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi and President Trump have been going back and forth about trying to make a deal that will end the government shutdown.

It has been said that Pelosi does not care about government employees since she is not willing to make a deal to end the shutdown.

However, Pelosi told President Trump to wait until after the government shutdown to deliver his State of the Union Address or deliver it in hand writing.
She did this due to all the federal employees who would be working the event and without receiving pay.

It is unsure how long this shutdown is going to continue and how much more damage it is going to do to workers and the economy.

This shutdown may have done more harm than help.