Sharpe: The government reopens, but with looming uncertainty

On Nov. 12, the longest U.S. government shutdown in nearly 50 years came to an end.

In the United States, a shutdown happens when Congress does not agree on a budget , so parts of the federal government close until a spending plan is approved. These typically happen in October because the government’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

Since 1976, when the current federal budget process was established, there have been 22 shutdowns .

President Trump has presided over four of them across his two terms; Barack Obama had one and Bill Clinton had two. There was a short one under George H.W. Bush, and eight under Ronald Reagan. Jimmy Carter saw five, and the very first shutdown lasted 10 days under Gerald Ford.

During a government shutdown , nonessential federal services