WASHINGTON — The estimated cost of the current partial government shutdown has surged to at least $4.4 billion, with final tallies expected to be even higher as the situation evolves. A recently introduced bill aims to accurately assess the financial impact down to the last cent.
<p A new measure proposed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) mandates that federal agencies meticulously document the expenses incurred due to the partial shutdown after it concludes, thereby providing a detailed estimate of its financial burden on taxpayers.
“Schumer’s Shutdown Shenanigans have imposed hefty costs on Americans,” Ernst remarked to The Post.
“While the precise cost of this political theater remains unclear, we do know that around 750,000 so-called ‘non-essential’ federal employees will collectively earn about $400 million daily in backpay for the duration of the shutdown.”
This Wednesday marked the 11th working day of the shutdown, meaning Uncle Sam will owe approximately $4.4 billion to furloughed employees and this number will continue to rise until the funding impasse is resolved.
Under Ernst’s proposed Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act, federal agencies are required to determine the number of personnel furloughed, the total wages they would have received absent the shutdown, and the earnings of non-furloughed employees during the disruption.
Agencies will have 30 days to provide this information following the conclusion of the shutdown.
“Additionally, my bill aims to shed light on which parts of our bloated bureaucracy are actually non-essential, paving the way for necessary cutbacks,” the Iowa senator further noted.
The government initiated a partial shutdown on October 1 as Congress became gridlocked over funding agreements, with Republicans insisting on a straightforward spending bill while Democrats sought concessions on healthcare policy.
This shutdown is now the fourth longest in U.S. history, surpassing 15 days without any clear resolution in sight from either party.
In comparison, the last shutdown, which lasted a record 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, delayed $18 billion in federal discretionary spending and contributed to an $8 billion reduction in gross domestic product, as reported by the Congressional Budget Office.
This previous shutdown coincided with several federal holidays, suggesting many ‘non-essential’ government employees would not have been working during portions of the funding interruption.
In a notable shift from past shutdowns, the Trump administration had begun issuing reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to thousands of federal employees, signaling potential permanent layoffs.
However, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting this action, a decision the Trump administration is expected to appeal.
