Democrats did it

Diogenes

Diogenes

Nemo me impune lacessit
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Tbird19482 said:
Well the Republicans do have complete control of Congress so why can't they get their shit together and pass a budget?
Don't put all the blame for this BS all on the Dems.
Click to expand...
Why didn't the Democrats when they had supermajorities with Obama? Continuing Resolutions and Omnibus spending constantly, with nary a budget in sight...

We haven't passed a full set of appropriations bills before the October 1st Deadline since 1997... and since then we have had either Continuing Resolutions or Omnibus bills but no actual budgets.
 
To determine how many times Democrats have forced a government shutdown since 1997, we need to look at instances where a failure to pass funding legislation led to a shutdown, and where Democrats played a decisive role in that failure—either by controlling key parts of the government or by actively blocking a resolution.

Government shutdowns occur when Congress and the President cannot agree on appropriations bills or a continuing resolution by the deadline, leading to a lapse in federal funding.

Forcing a shutdown implies significant responsibility, often tied to political strategy or refusal to compromise.

Let’s examine the record since 1997, focusing on shutdowns after that year and the role Democrats played.

Since 1997, there have been five federal government shutdowns in the United States: two in 1995-1996 (which overlap slightly with our timeframe but began before 1997), and then 2013, 2018 (twice), and 2018-2019.

However, because you asked for shutdowns "since 1997," I’ll focus on those that started in 1997 or later, meaning we’ll exclude the 1995-1996 shutdowns (which occurred during Bill Clinton’s presidency and a Republican-controlled Congress) and zero in on the post-1997 events.

The key question is whether Democrats were the primary drivers in any of these.
  1. October 1-17, 2013 (16 days)
    • Context: This shutdown occurred during President Barack Obama’s second term (a Democrat). The Republican-led House, spurred by conservative figures like Senator Ted Cruz, sought to delay or defund the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by attaching such provisions to the 2014 budget. The Democrat-controlled Senate and Obama rejected these demands, insisting on a "clean" funding bill without ACA changes.
    • Who Forced It?: Republicans initiated this shutdown by tying the ACA to funding, knowing Democrats wouldn’t budge. Democrats, holding the presidency and Senate (54-46), refused to negotiate on their signature healthcare law, but the shutdown’s impetus came from GOP strategy. Public opinion largely blamed Republicans, and they relented after 16 days. Democrats didn’t force this; they held firm against Republican demands.
  2. January 20-22, 2018 (3 days)
    • Context: Under President Donald Trump (Republican), with a Republican House (241-194) and Senate (51-49), this shutdown stemmed from a dispute over immigration. Democrats demanded protections for DACA recipients ("Dreamers") in exchange for supporting a spending bill. Senate Democrats, leveraging their 49 votes (plus two independents who caucused with them), used the filibuster (requiring 60 votes to break) to block a bill lacking DACA provisions.
    • Who Forced It?: Democrats bear significant responsibility here. Their refusal to vote for a funding bill without DACA protections directly caused the shutdown, as they had enough Senate votes to stall progress. Republicans argued Democrats prioritized immigration over government operations. After three days, Democrats backed down when polls turned against them, accepting a temporary funding bill with a promise to negotiate on DACA later. This is a clear case where Democrats forced a shutdown.
  3. February 9, 2018 (9 hours)
    • Context: Another Trump-era shutdown, this time brief. Senator Rand Paul (Republican) delayed a Senate vote on a two-year budget deal over spending concerns, causing a technical funding lapse overnight. The Democrat House minority (194 seats) and Senate (47 seats plus 2 independents) didn’t block the bill; Paul’s solo action triggered the shutdown.
    • Who Forced It?: This was a Republican-driven delay, not Democrats. The bill passed once Paul relented, and Democrats supported it. No Democratic forcing here.
  4. December 22, 2018 - January 25, 2019 (35 days)
    • Context: The longest shutdown in U.S. history, again under Trump with a Republican Senate (53-47) and, initially, a Republican House (until January 3, 2019, when Democrats took control, 235-199). Trump demanded $5.7 billion for a border wall, which Democrats in the House and Senate opposed. After Democrats gained the House majority in 2019, they passed bills without wall funding, which Trump rejected. Senate Republicans wouldn’t override Trump’s veto threat.
    • Who Forced It?: This was a standoff. Trump and Senate Republicans insisted on wall funding, while Democrats, newly controlling the House, refused to include it. Both sides dug in, but Republicans held the presidency and Senate until the House flipped. Democrats didn’t initiate the shutdown—Trump’s demand did—but their House majority after January 3 prolonged it by rejecting wall funding. Blame is shared, though Trump’s base-driven stance was the primary catalyst. Democrats didn’t "force" it alone.
Since 1997, only these four shutdowns (post-1996) qualify. Of them:
  • 2013: Republicans forced it over the ACA; Democrats resisted but didn’t start the fight.
  • January 2018: Democrats forced it by blocking funding over DACA, using their Senate leverage.
  • February 2018: A Republican (Paul) forced it; Democrats were uninvolved.
  • 2018-2019: A mutual standoff, with Trump pushing the wall and Democrats resisting once in power, but not solely a Democrat initiative.
Thus, Democrats clearly forced one shutdown since 1997: the January 2018 event over DACA. The 2018-2019 case involves shared responsibility, but it wasn’t Democrats alone driving the impasse—Trump’s wall demand was the spark.

Historical data shows shutdowns often stem from divided government, and both parties have used them tactically.

Here, the evidence points to a single instance of Democrats taking the lead in forcing a shutdown post-1997.

Answer: Democrats have forced a government shutdown 1 time since 1997, in January 2018.


@Gok
 
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