Ernst Demands Price Tag of a Schumer Shutdown

WASHINGTON – In the face of Democrats’ threats to shut down the government, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, called out Democrats’ reckless tactics and requested a full accounting of how a Schumer shutdown would impact the American people.

Ernst called on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide a detailed cost breakdown of a Schumer shutdown, including delayed pay for servicemembers, disruptions to small businesses, lost revenue across the private sector, and long-term economic fallout.

“A government shutdown benefits no one, but Schumer's shutdown threat shows he bows to the far left instead of serving hardworking Americans,” said Ernst. “Make no mistake, Republicans are working to keep the government open for the people, but Democrats are obstructing to prevent us from eliminating waste. If Democrats continue to double down on their Schumer shutdown, they must know the true impact of their actions on the American people and our economy.”

While Republicans are working toward common sense efforts that would keep the government open, eliminate unnecessary spending, and maintain services for hardworking Americans, Ernst points out in the letter that “the same politicians who whined and complained about the Department of Government Efficiency laying off unnecessary bureaucrats just a few months ago are now forcing a governmentwide shutdown themselves to expose who is and isn’t an essential employee.”

Read the full letter here.

Background:

Ernst is a cosponsor of the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act that forces Congress to do its job while keeping government open.

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