POLITICS
The shocking cost of a federal government shutdown to the public purse
As another government shutdown looms, we look at the cost to the public that these Congressional failures generate.
As the end of the federal fiscal year (September 30) approaches, Congress again fails to pass a budget, leaving the threat of a government shutdown looming. Though this has become an increasingly common situation for the public and fuels voter frustration weeks before the election, many are unaware of the implications for the average family when the government shuts down.
Though bills circulating on Capitol Hill would fund the budget through early 2025, neither stands much of a chance of passing. The Republican-led House of Representatives is struggling to agree on a continuing resolution (CR) that can pass in Congress’ lower chamber.
What is a continuing resolution?
A type of appropritations bill, a continuing resolution is a short term legislative mechanism to fund the government. A CR is used when leaders are unable to fund the government for an entire year.
In an attempt to garner votes from those within the GOP caucus who oppose short-term spending bills, the leadership has said that the CR will be attached to a vote on a bill that would reaffirm the illegality of non-citizens voting. Attaching the SAVE Act to the CR has turned off Democrats, leaving Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to scrape together a 212-vote majority, meaning only eight members can be lost. The most recent proposal was brought to the floor on Wednesday, September 18, and received 202 votes, with three Democrats joining Republicans on the failed bill. Fourteen GOP Representatives voted against the bill, with two more voting present.
While Republican leaders in the House are blaming Senate Democrats for refusing to negotiate, Senate Republicans are clear-eyed that failing to pass a bill in the House will reflect poorly on the party as the election approaches.
The cost of the 2018-2019 government shutdown
When the government runs out of money, federal workers whose work goes unfunded are sent home. While they go without pay during the shutdown, they are paid on the backend, which means that the taxpayer funds Congress’s failure. The Congressional Budget Office, which conducts economic analysis for the legislative branch, found that the 2018/2019 shutdown cost the taxpayer $18 billion. In addition to back pay and other expenses that are paid after the shutdown, the event also slowed economic growth in the first quarter of 2019 by an estimated $8 billion.