Government shutdowns in the United States

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Johnson says he is opposed to a government shutdown, but he is not ruling it out.

Johnson made the comments in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. He said that he believes a government shutdown would be "devastating" for the country, but he also said that he is not willing to "cave" to the demands of the Democratic Party.

The US government has been shut down several times in recent years, most recently in 2018-2019. Shutdowns occur when Congress and the President cannot agree on a budget, which is necessary to fund the government's operations.

Shutdowns can have a significant impact on the US economy, as well as on the lives of federal employees and contractors. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, for example, an estimated 800,000 federal employees were furloughed or forced to work without pay.

The longest government shutdown in US history began on December 22, 2018, and lasted for 35 days. The shutdown ended on January 25, 2019, when Congress and the President reached an agreement on a budget.

The current government shutdown began on December 22, 2022, and is the longest shutdown since the 2018-2019 shutdown. The shutdown is the result of a disagreement between Congress and the President over funding for the US-Mexico border wall.

It is unclear how long the current shutdown will last. However, it is clear that shutdowns have a significant impact on the US economy and the lives of federal employees and contractors.