A group of state business organizations from around the country have called on the U.S. Senate to reopen the government in a letter amplified by the White House, citing the threat of “serious economic damage.”
“Dear Members of the United States Senate,” the Friday letter began. “We write to you as a coalition of state chambers of commerce to convey our strong and shared opposition to the federal government shutdown. Our businesses and communities depend on steady, predictable government operations, and past shutdowns have underscored how deeply disruptions can impact regional economies.”
The letter was signed by a coalition of eight groups, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Arizona Manufacturers Council, Association of Washington Business, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
Referring to the 2013 and 2019 government shutdowns, the business coalition went on to say that their groups “have consistently opposed shutdowns regardless of which party controls Congress or the White House.”
“We have also opposed efforts by factions leveraging essential funding to force concessions on broader policy debates. That principle guides us today: avoiding a shutdown must remain a top priority,” the letter stated.
“A prolonged shutdown threatens serious economic damage,” it continued. “The uncertainty it causes for employers, workers, and investors would ripple across industries, including federal contract delays, closures of national parks, government permitting and regulatory slowdowns, and more.”
Economists have warned of the impact that a prolonged shutdown could have on markets, with Gregory Daco, chief economist at accounting firm EY, telling ABC News Friday, “We’re gradually reaching a point where the shutdown becomes something more significant.”
“A government shutdown would be an additional headwind that could further weaken the underlying foundation of the U.S. economy,” he explained, calling it a “vicious cycle.”
Each week of a potential government shutdown would reduce the quarter’s annualized real GDP growth by about 0.1 percent — approximately $30 billion — according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
“If it extends into the holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a recession will become a real threat as it will weigh on already fragile consumer, business and investor confidence,” Zandi said.
The shutdown entered its twenty-fourth day on Friday, with “no deal in sight,” CBS News reported.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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