Why this government shutdown is different

The federal government shut down after midnight last night. Capitol Hill is snarled by a partisan impasse, with no word as to which side might cave, work across the aisle, and try to garner the votes needed to pass a new spending bill.

The last government shutdown was at the end of 2018—during President Trump’s first term in office—and lasted into the early part of 2019. At 35 days, it was the longest shutdown in four decades.

As for what caused this latest shutdown? In the simplest terms, a previously passed bill to fund the federal government’s operations expired as of Wednesday, October 1. The House and Senate need to pass a new spending bill, which then needs to be signed by the president, to keep the federal government operating.

That hasn’t happened, and may not happen anytime soo