Sen. Joni Ernst Highlights Financial Impact of Federal Shutdown

Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa expressed to Breitbart News on Thursday that taxpayers are incurring costs of $400 million daily due to federal employees who are not working amidst the ongoing Democratic shutdown.

She remarked, “This shutdown, led by Schumer, is really affecting Americans in their pockets. The Democrats keep dragging this issue out.”

Ernst further noted, “If Congress does nothing, members still receive their pay for not doing their jobs. And as if that weren’t bad enough, our economy stands to lose billions. Our servicemen are delayed in receiving their pay, and essential services that Americans rely on are inaccessible.”

The Senator communicated with Breitbart News following a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report detailing the costs associated with the shutdown initiated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York.

According to the CBO’s assessment, the shutdown results in a financial drain of $400 million each day, compensating approximately 750,000 federal workers who aren’t working. The analysis also highlighted certain impacts:

• Military personnel will experience delays in their salaries while serving the nation.
• The total economic impact of the last shutdown amounted to $3 billion in gross domestic product losses.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) indicated that Democrats’ alternative proposals to the Republican spending suspension include removing health savings from a significant bill, perpetuating expanded Obamacare subsidies, and adding an estimated $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years.

Maya MacGuineas, chair of the CRFB, commented, stating, “If lawmakers are keen on expanding any ACA grants, they should approach it responsibly. Extensions should be targeted and at least offset the costs.” She suggested possibly offsetting new borrowing by finding alternatives, including adjusting Medicare Advantage upcoding fees or covering financing costs through other cuts.

Additionally, she urged that if lawmakers aim to restrain settlement legislation, they should examine the implications of $6 trillion in tax cuts and increased spending rather than just focusing on payments.

MacGuineas concluded, “Ideally, we should be able to reopen the government without worsening the already dire financial situation.”