Ernst Exposes Exact Cost of Schumer Shutdown

WASHINGTON – As the Schumer Shutdown puts taxpayers on the hook to pay bureaucrats approximately $4.8 billion not to work, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is introducing new legislation to expose the exact cost of the Schumer Shutdown.

The Congressional Budget Office revealed to Ernst that it costs taxpayers $400 million per workday to pay 750,000 “non-essential” federal employees not to work during a shutdown.

To get an exact accounting within a month after a shutdown ends, the Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act will require all federal agencies to disclose the number of furloughed employees and how much each will be paid in backpay by the taxpayers, despite not working.

“Schumer’s Shutdown Shenanigans have already wasted about $4.8 billion paying 750,000 ‘non-essential’ federal employees not to work for more than two weeks,” said Ernst. “My Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act will expose the lost productivity and true cost of Democrats’ political stunt. It will also help expose which parts of the bloated bureaucracy are truly ‘non-essential’ and should be put on the chopping block to increase efficiency in Washington for taxpayers.”

Click here to view the bill.

Background:

Ernst has been exposing the cost of Schumer’s Shutdown after requesting a full accounting from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

To save taxpayer dollars during a shutdown, Ernst outlined $2 trillion worth of non-essential spending for Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought that could be cut.

Ernst has previously exposed bureaucrats for relaxing in a bubble bath, golfing, and even sitting in jail during the workday.

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