Government Shutdown Costs Rise to $4.4 Billion
In the ongoing partial government shutdown, costs have escalated to at least $4.4 billion. This figure may actually be much higher, but an exact accounting won’t materialize until the situation is resolved. There’s a new bill, introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst, aimed at pinpointing the total financial fallout, down to the last cent.
Sen. Ernst’s proposal necessitates that federal agencies thoroughly assess the cost of their operations after the shutdown concludes, ultimately delivering a detailed account of what this impasse has cost taxpayers.
Ernst remarked, “Schumer’s government shutdown antics have hit the American public hard.” She added that while the exact dollar amount of what she calls a “political stunt” isn’t clear, it’s estimated that around 750,000 ‘non-essential’ federal workers will receive about $400 million in back pay for every workday during the shutdown.
As of Wednesday, the shutdown had reached its 11th day. Consequently, Uncle Sam is expected to pay around $4.4 billion to furloughed employees, with that number continuing to climb as funding remains stalled.
Through Ernst’s proposed Non-Essential Worker Transparency Act, federal bodies would be required to tally how many employees were sidelined, what their salaries would’ve been without the shutdown, and how many new employees were brought on board during this period.
Agencies are expected to submit their data within 30 days after the shutdown ends. “Additionally, this bill will shine a light on which segments of our sprawling bureaucracy are truly superfluous and might need cutting,” the Iowa senator noted.
The current shutdown began on October 1, a result of Congress’s inability to agree on funding. Republicans are pushing for improved spending proposals, while Democrats want concessions on healthcare issues.
This shutdown has already become the fourth-longest in U.S. history, hitting 15 days on Wednesday, with both parties sticking to their guns as negotiations falter.
For context, the last shutdown set a record lasting 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, disrupting $18 billion in discretionary spending and cutting GDP by $8 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
That earlier shutdown also coincided with several federal holidays, which meant many ‘non-essential’ employees would have been off work regardless due to the funding issues at hand.
Unlike past instances, the Trump administration previously issued Reduction in Force (RIF) notices that could lead to thousands of permanent job losses for federal employees. However, this move was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Wednesday, and an appeal from the administration seems likely.
