Government Shutdown Cost Calculator
Government shutdowns cost taxpayers real money. Calculate the price of congressional dysfunction — in dollars, delayed services, and economic damage.
Direct Cost
$400M/day
Government operations halted
Workers Furloughed
800,000
Federal employees sent home
Longest Shutdown
35 days
December 2018 – January 2019
Calculate the Cost
Direct Cost
$12.0B
30 days × $400M/day
Economic Impact
$9.0B
Broader GDP damage
Total Cost
$21.0B
Direct + economic damage
Workers Furloughed
~800,000
Federal employees without pay
A 30-day shutdown would cost taxpayers $21.0B and furlough 800,000 federal workers.
What Stops During a Shutdown
When the government shuts down, it's not just politicians missing paychecks. Essential services that affect millions of Americans grind to a halt.
Tax Refunds
IRS processing halts — refunds delayed for millions of filers
Passport Processing
New passport applications frozen, renewals delayed weeks
Food Inspections
FDA food safety inspections suspended at processing plants
National Parks
Parks close or operate without staff, costing local economies millions
Economic Data
Census, BLS jobs reports, and GDP data releases halt
Research Grants
NIH, NSF, and other research funding frozen mid-project
Historical Shutdowns
Government shutdowns are a uniquely American phenomenon. No other major democracy routinely threatens to stop paying its own workers as a negotiating tactic.
2013
Dispute over Affordable Care Act funding. 800,000 federal workers furloughed, national parks closed, CDC stopped disease monitoring.
16 of 35 days (longest shutdown)
2018–2019
Longest shutdown in U.S. history over border wall funding. 380,000 workers furloughed, 420,000 worked without pay. TSA sickouts caused airport delays nationwide.
35 of 35 days (longest shutdown)
2023
Congress passed a last-minute continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown. The threat alone cost planning disruptions across every federal agency.
"The last 35-day shutdown cost more than DOGE claims to have saved in its first month."
The Bottom Line
Government shutdowns cost taxpayers real money while accomplishing nothing. They don't reduce the deficit, don't cut spending, and don't resolve the policy disagreements that caused them. Workers go unpaid, services stop, and the economy takes a hit — then Congress eventually passes a deal it could have passed before the shutdown started. It's dysfunction theater, and taxpayers foot the bill every time.
A 30-day shutdown would cost taxpayers $21.0B
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