See how long past government shutdowns lasted — and which parties were in power

Here is a look at what the longest shutdown was — and which parties controlled the White House and Congress.

Unless Congress acts soon, the federal government will shut down. Again.

Government funding runs out at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, meaning Congress has just a few days to come up with a solution so millions of federal workers don't lose out on getting paid.

Their fate rests mostly in the hands of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and his bickering caucus, which can't agree on whether it's more important to keep the government running or to pass drastic spending cuts demanded by his most conservative members.

In the past four decades, the government has shut down 20 times. Some shutdowns in the 1970s lasted more than a week, but subsequent ones were pretty short until 1995, when President Bill Clinton faced off against a Republican House and Senate that led to two shutdowns for a total of 26 days.

We’d like to hear from you about how you’re preparing for a possible government shutdown, whether you might be out of work or feel the effects of shuttered services. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.