Divided government

Try a control scenario

A model of party control, not an election forecast. A federal trifecta means one party holds the presidency and both chambers.

Source: House History: party government (October 30, 2026)

Who sets the agenda?

Gridlock and funding

23Funding gaps since 1976

23 lapses in appropriations since the current budget calendar began in 1976. Most lasted under a week; the three longest came in 2018, 2025 and 2026.

1. October 1, 197610 days
2. October 1, 197712 days
3. November 1, 19778 days
4. December 1, 19778 days
5. October 1, 197817 days
6. October 1, 197911 days
7. November 21, 19812 days
8. October 1, 19821 day
9. December 18, 19823 days
10. November 11, 19833 days
11. October 1, 19842 days
12. October 4, 19841 day
13. October 17, 19861 day
14. December 19, 19871 day
15. October 6, 19903 days
16. November 14, 19955 days
17. December 16, 199521 days
18. October 1, 201316 days
19. January 20, 20182 days
20. December 22, 201834 days
21. October 1, 202542 days · longest government-wide
22. January 31, 20263 days · partial: about half of the agencies
23. February 14, 202675 days · partial: Homeland Security only

Full days without appropriations, as counted by the Congressional Research Service. A gap over a weekend may close before agencies shut.

How a shutdown happens

1. 12 bills

   Congress must pass twelve annual appropriations bills before the fiscal year starts on October 1.

2. Stopgap

   When the bills are late, a continuing resolution keeps agencies funded at existing levels for a set period.

3. Lapse

   If neither is in force, the Antideficiency Act bars most spending: excepted staff keep working without pay and the rest are furloughed.

4. Ending

   A shutdown ends only when both chambers pass and the president signs a funding law, or Congress overrides a veto.

Oversight: hearings and subpoenas

Each step is rarer than the one before it. Most oversight ends with a letter and voluntary cooperation.

1. Request

   A committee asks an agency or a person for documents or testimony.

2. Hearing

   Witnesses testify in public or in closed session. Lying to Congress is a federal crime.

3. Subpoena

   A chair, or a committee vote under its rules, compels documents or an appearance. The recipient can negotiate or challenge it in court.

4. Contempt

   A full chamber can vote to hold a person in contempt for defying a subpoena.

5. Enforcement

   The citation goes to the U.S. Attorney for possible prosecution, or the chamber sues in civil court. Courts, not the committee, decide the final outcome.

Linked hearings in this snapshot

• September 15, 2026Fixing Fraud and Failure in Federally Funded Homelessness Services
• September 15, 2026Unequal Treatment: Addressing the Drivers of Unaffordability for Oral Chemotherapy

Two midterm changes