Sen. Joni Ernst's office released Congressional Budget Office data showing the government shutdown is expected to cost taxpayers $400 million a day to pay furloughed federal employees. (Reuters)
"Using information from the agencies’ contingency plans and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), CBO estimates that under a lapse in discretionary funding for fiscal year 2026 about 750,000 employees could be furloughed each day; the total daily cost of their compensation would be roughly $400 million," a letter from the Congressional Budget Office to Ernst stated Tuesday. The data was released after the Iowa Republican requested CBO provide a data cost breakdown of the shutdown in September as the deadline clock ran out.
The CBO data largely was based on statistics from a five-week partial shutdown that ran from Dec. 22, 2018, until Jan. 25, 2019, under the first Trump administration, the office noted in its letter to Ernst.
The letter added that the number of furloughed federal employees, which is currently estimated to sit at about 750,000 staffers, could vary by the day "because some agencies might furlough more employees the longer a shutdown persists and others might recall some initially furloughed employees."
The government shut down early Wednesday morning after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a budget agreement. House lawmakers had approved a short-term extension of fiscal year 2025 funding earlier in September that aimed to keep the government funded through Nov. 21.
The Trump administration and Republicans have since pinned blame for the shutdown on Democrats, claiming they sought taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants. Democrats have denied they want to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants, and instead have blamed Republicans for the shutdown.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer's office for comment on the CBO data and Ernst's remarks but did not immediately receive a reply.
White House spokesman Kush Desai slammed Democrats as "not serious people" when asked about the CBO data Friday morning.
HERE'S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO RESHAPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN
"Democrats are burning $400 million a day to pay federal workers not to work because they want to spend $200 billion on free health care for illegal aliens," Desai told Fox News Digital. "These are not serious people."
Trump repeatedly has said he did not want a shutdown to unfold, but noted Tuesday as the clock ran out that some "good" could come from it.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Oct. 2, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that "thousands" of employees will likely be laid off.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Look, it's likely going to be in the thousands," Leavitt said. "It's a very good question. And that's something that the Office of Management and Budget and the entire team at the White House here, again, is unfortunately having to work on today."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-shutdown-already-cost-taxpayers-1-2b-pay-employees-not-working