The BBQ that Shut Down the US Government

image via Huffington Post

Government shutdowns are no joke. During the famed 2013 shutdown, over 800,000 employees found themselves not working and not getting paid, while a further 1.3 million found themselves working without pay (myself included), for over two weeks. All because a certain Cuban-Canadian member of Congress was disagreeing with some legislation.

image via CrooksandLiars

Pictured: The ass-hole who prevented me from making my rent on time.

Eighteen times, the US government has been shut-down. And nearly every time it's been due to disagreement over some legislation. Every time except for once in 1982.

On October 1st, 1982, the government shut down when Congress simply forgot to pass a spending bill before the midnight deadline.

image via USNews

"No really, the dog ate it Mr. President. I swear!"

Surely it was some issue of extreme importance to the United States that kept Congress from remembering that the government needs money to run right? Well as it turns out, the only reason that the government shut down on October 1st, 1982, was because all the members of Congress were too busy having a BBQ to remember that the government was about to shut down.

Seriously.

image via CruiseWeb

Didn't realize he was so serious when he said his burgers would "shut the whole place down"

Well, only half were too busy having a BBQ. While the Republicans were eating on the White House lawn with President Reagan, the Democrats were holding a $1,000 a plate fundraising dinner. Because why should political parties divide members of Congress over not doing their job?

image via Mike Bost

A House divided against itself . . . is still more productive than this.

So just remember; anytime someone calls our current Congress a "do-nothing" Congress, make sure to remind them of the one that let the government grind to a halt for some cheap hamburgers and beer.

image via Wikipedia

This is apparently the world's most expensive frat-house.