The Nation’s Top Businesses Push For End Of Government Shutdown

A broad coalition of business associations representing hundreds of companies as diverse as Apple and Walmart united to call on Congress Thursday to immediately reopen the government.

The coalition warned that with each day of the shutdown, “the larger and more durable the economic damage becomes — and some of it might never be recovered.” 

Top CEOs from hundreds of major U.S. companies warned of “economic damage, some of which is irreversible,” Axios reported.

Representing virtually every sector of the economy, from airlines, banking, hotels, manufacturing, software, real estate, and travel, the associations estimated that the ongoing shutdown costs the nation between $10 and $15 billion in lost output per week. 

While the joint statement avoided taking a political stance, the groups urged lawmakers to “avert further economic disruption” by reopening the government immediately. The associations proposed a compromise to negotiate major policy issues in a longer-term funding package rather than a continuing resolution. 

House Democratic Minority Whip Katherine Clark explained why Democrats want to negotiate now rather than for a longer-term funding package.

“I mean, shutdowns are terrible, and, of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark said in an interview with CNN last week. 

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The standoff on Capitol Hill centers on health care funding. Democrats refuse to back the Republican-led continuing resolution (CR) unless it includes an extension of ACA tax credits. The credits were established in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act and were temporarily enhanced and expanded in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans maintain that health care discussions can begin after the CR is passed. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, “To President Trump’s great credit, he is doing everything possible to protect families and keep vital services running.” 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer disagreed. 

“Republicans own this shutdown,” said Schumer. “Every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions.”

Last week, the White House released statements from leaders in the aviation industry urging Congress to reopen the federal government. 

President of NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots Pedro Leroux said, “It is indisputable that our system is less safe today than it was on Oct. 1 when the shutdown began.”

Air-traffic controllers are among the many federal workers currently working without pay. Others include government employees,  military service members, Capitol police, and thousands of third-party contractors whose payments halted when the shutdown began.  

In response, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to divert funds previously allocated for research and development to paychecks for the military. Trump also claimed an unnamed “friend” gave $130 million to pay service members. 

Next, the shutdown hits SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is projected to run out of funds on Saturday. 

“If there are any Democrats out there who care about the damage this shutdown is doing, then I have a bill at the desk,” stated Senate Majority Leader John Thune. 

The bill is “a clean, nonpartisan CR to fund WIC, SNAP, troop pay, air traffic controller pay, farm programs, housing assistance, national defense, and more.” 

Shortly after Thune’s statement, the Senate adjourned, pushing shutdown conversations to next week.