13. A Veto Shuts Down The Government For Eighteen Days
During 1978, President Jimmy Carter and his Democratic party held the reigns in the government. The Democrats held the majority of votes in both the House and the Senate. However, this could keep the government from going into a shut down on September 30, 1978. This government shutdown, which lasted eighteen days, happened when Jimmy Carter vetoed a bill because he thought Congress was not putting the government’s money to good use. Carter vetoed the bill because he saw it as wasteful spending.
The bill that President Carter vetoed focused on a large amount of funding for public works legislation, several water projects, and a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. While Carter didn’t entirely mind the public works and water projects, he wasn’t happy that so much money was going towards a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Carter felt there were dozens of more important areas that could use that funding, such as the departments of health, education, and welfare. From the veto until October 17, 1978, the parties debated. The end resulted in a win for President Jimmy Carter.