United States federal government shutdown of 2018 facts for kids

A government shutdown happens when the United States Congress and the President can't agree on how to fund the government. This means many government offices and services have to close down because they don't have money to operate.

One such shutdown happened in the United States. It started on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at midnight EST. It lasted for a short time, ending on Monday, January 22, 2018.

What Caused the 2018 Shutdown?

The main reasons for this shutdown were disagreements over two big topics.

Protecting Young Immigrants

One major disagreement was about a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This program helps young people who were brought to the U.S. as children without permission. Lawmakers were arguing about whether these individuals should be protected from being sent out of the country.

Building a Border Wall

Another big point of disagreement was about funding for a wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Building this wall was a key promise made by Donald Trump during his campaign to become president. Some lawmakers wanted to provide money for the wall, while others did not.

A Unique Shutdown in History

The 2018 shutdown was special because of who was in charge. It was the first time in U.S. history that a shutdown happened when the same political party controlled:

• Both parts of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives).
• The White House (where the President lives).

In this case, the Republican party controlled all three. The shutdown began when the Senate did not approve a bill that the House of Representatives had passed to keep the government running. This shutdown also started exactly one year after Donald Trump became president.

Images for kids

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  Units of the National Park System closed during the 2013 federal government shutdown. Shown here is the National Mall.