Government shutdown

Some of you might not know what this means. In short, Government shutdown happens when the federal budget is not approved in both chambers of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives). In the last midterm elections president Obama's Democrats have lost majority in the House of Representatives (while maintaining majority in the Senate). This lead to tough negotiations between the two parties to approve the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Until last Friday night there was no settlement whatsoever. And just as Government shutdown was about to be announced (I believe the deadline was Friday, 11:59pm PST), suddenly, an agreement was reached. Just half an hour before deadline. Theatrical, some would argue. Worthy of a good Hollywood thriller! However, history tells us that this has happened in the past, lasting as long as 5 months. And federal workers do not get payed during this period! How nice would this be if enforced in Portugal? I can almost bet that politicians would find a way to solve their differences... and rather swiftly, I could add!