VERDICT: TRUE
The claim that the October 1 - November 12, 2025 government shutdown was the longest in U.S. history is TRUE. At 43 days, it surpassed the previous record of 34 days set during the 2018-2019 shutdown. The shutdown was the 11th in U.S. history to cause federal furloughs and eclipsed the prior record on November 5, 2025. However, claims by DOGE of $150 billion in savings have been widely disputed, with fact-checkers finding the tracker "riddled with factual errors."
The 2025 government shutdown began at 12:01 AM on October 1, 2025, when Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation. The primary dispute centered on ACA (Affordable Care Act) subsidy extensions set to expire in November 2025, with Senate Democrats blocking the appropriations bill over this issue.
The appropriations bill failed 14 times before finally passing on November 12. During this period, federal agencies operated with minimal staff, essential services were disrupted, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers went without pay. By the end of 2025, 317,000 federal employees had left government service, and the federal deficit had grown by $2 trillion from October 2024 to August 2025.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed $150 billion in cuts during this period, but these figures have been challenged by multiple fact-checkers, congressional members, and independent analysts.
Historical Context: Breaking the Record
Prior to 2025, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history occurred from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, lasting 34 days. That shutdown, triggered by disputes over border wall funding, affected approximately 800,000 federal workers and cost the economy an estimated $11 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office. [2]
The 2025 shutdown surpassed this record on November 5, 2025 (Day 35) and continued for another 8 days before resolution. At 43 days, it represented a 26% increase over the previous record and became the 11th shutdown in U.S. history to cause federal employee furloughs. [1]
Timeline of Key Events
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2025 | Shutdown begins at 12:01 AM; federal agencies enter lapsed appropriations status | Washington Post |
| Oct 15 | Senate Democrats block appropriations bill over ACA subsidy dispute | Reuters |
| Oct 22 | Appropriations bill fails for 7th time; negotiations stall | Senate Records |
| Nov 5 | Day 35: 2025 shutdown eclipses 2018-2019 record of 34 days | Politico |
| Nov 8 | Appropriations bill fails 14th time; economic pressure intensifies | CNN |
| Nov 12 | Appropriations bill passes on 15th attempt; shutdown ends after 43 days | Fox News, TIME |
| Nov 2025 | DOGE disbands with 8 months remaining in charter | AP |
Root Cause: ACA Subsidy Dispute
The shutdown was precipitated by a fundamental disagreement over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy extensions. Enhanced ACA subsidies, originally implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended multiple times, were set to expire in November 2025. [10]
Senate Democrats refused to pass the appropriations bill unless it included provisions to extend these subsidies, arguing that expiration would cause millions of Americans to lose affordable health insurance coverage. Republican leadership insisted on a "clean" appropriations bill without the ACA provisions.
The deadlock resulted in the appropriations bill failing 14 consecutive times before a compromise was reached. Senate voting records show that the bill ultimately passed with a modified ACA extension provision, though scaled back from the original Democratic proposal. [16]
DOGE Savings Claims: Fact vs. Fiction
During and after the shutdown, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed credit for $150 billion in budget cuts. These claims have been subjected to intense scrutiny by fact-checkers, journalists, and even members of Congress aligned with the initiative.
NPR conducted a comprehensive review of DOGE's public tracker and found it "riddled with factual errors." The investigation documented numerous instances of double-counting, inclusion of programs that were already scheduled for elimination, and claims of savings from positions that were never filled. [3]
House DOGE Caucus Admission
Perhaps most damning was the admission from Representative Blake Moore (R-UT), leader of the House DOGE caucus, who publicly acknowledged that Musk's $150 billion savings figure was a "massive exaggeration." Moore stated that while the initiative had achieved some efficiencies, the publicly touted numbers did not reflect verifiable savings. [13]
Partnership for Public Service Analysis
The Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan organization focused on government effectiveness, conducted an independent analysis of DOGE's activities. Their findings were striking: rather than generating savings, the DOGE effort may have actually COST the federal government approximately $135 billion in 2025 due to: [7]
- Disruption to ongoing agency operations and programs
- Loss of institutional knowledge from departing workers
- Contract penalties and termination fees
- Recruitment and training costs for eventual replacements
- Delayed implementation of cost-saving modernization projects
DOGE was disbanded in November 2025 with 8 months remaining in its original charter. The Associated Press reported that the dissolution came amid growing criticism of the initiative's effectiveness and accountability. No comprehensive audit of DOGE's claimed savings was completed before the organization was dissolved. [15]
Federal Workforce Impact
The 43-day shutdown had profound effects on the federal workforce, both during and after the shutdown period:
According to the Office of Personnel Management, by the end of 2025, 317,000 federal employees had left government service - through resignations, retirements, and workforce reduction programs. This represented one of the largest single-year declines in federal employment in decades. [9]
Immediate Shutdown Effects
- ~800,000 employees furloughed or working without pay
- 380,000 employees deemed "essential" worked without guaranteed pay
- 43 days of missed paychecks for most affected workers
- Employee morale and retention severely impacted
Long-Term Consequences
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) documented significant operational impacts across federal agencies, including: [14]
- Delayed processing of tax refunds, passport applications, and small business loans
- Reduced food safety inspections by FDA
- Halted scientific research at national laboratories
- Suspended hiring and training programs across all agencies
Fiscal Impact: Deficit Growth
Contrary to DOGE claims of massive savings, U.S. Treasury data reveals a different picture of federal finances during the relevant period:
Treasury Department data shows that from October 2024 to August 2025, the federal deficit grew by approximately $2 trillion. This figure was $76 billion MORE than the same period in the previous fiscal year - directly contradicting claims of meaningful budget reductions. [8]
Shutdown-Related Costs
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the 2025 shutdown itself added costs including:
- Back pay for furloughed workers: approximately $3.2 billion
- Contractor delays and penalties: estimated $1.1 billion
- Lost productivity: CBO estimates $8-11 billion in delayed economic activity
- Interest costs from debt management disruptions during the shutdown
Shutdown Comparison: 2018-2019 vs. 2025
| Metric | 2018-2019 Shutdown | 2025 Shutdown |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 34 days | 43 days (+26%) |
| Primary Dispute | Border wall funding | ACA subsidy extensions |
| Workers Affected | ~800,000 | ~800,000 |
| Economic Impact (CBO est.) | $11 billion | $14-18 billion (preliminary) |
| Failed Votes Before Resolution | Multiple | 14 consecutive failures |
| Ranking | Longest in history (at time) | Longest in U.S. history |
VERDICT: TRUE - The claim that the 2025 government shutdown was the longest in U.S. history is confirmed.
The shutdown lasted 43 days (October 1 - November 12, 2025), surpassing the previous record of 34 days set in 2018-2019. It was the 11th shutdown in U.S. history to cause federal employee furloughs, and it broke the previous record on November 5, 2025.
The root cause was a dispute over ACA subsidy extensions, with Senate Democrats blocking appropriations until a compromise was reached after 14 failed votes.
While DOGE claimed $150 billion in savings during this period, these figures have been widely disputed. NPR found the DOGE tracker "riddled with factual errors," the House DOGE caucus leader admitted to "massive exaggeration," and the Partnership for Public Service estimated DOGE may have actually cost $135 billion. Meanwhile, Treasury data shows the deficit grew by $2 trillion - $76 billion more than the prior year.
The shutdown contributed to 317,000 federal employees leaving government by year's end, and DOGE itself was disbanded in November 2025 with 8 months remaining in its charter.