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Government Shutdown: Millions of Americans Go Unpaid, Billions Lost
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt asserted that "Democrats continue to recklessly hold the American people hostage with their demands for free health care for illegal aliens."
In a briefing with reporters about the government shutdown, Leavitt said, "I've said repeatedly: We want the government to be open. Layoffs are the unfortunate consequence of a government shutdown, and they're something the administration is currently considering."
She noted that the U.S. economy could lose $15 billion per week due to the shutdown, and that more than 13,000 airport employees are working without pay.
She noted that the current government shutdown is having a profound personal impact on millions of Americans. The 1.3 million men and women in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force, who serve honorably and risk their lives to defend us all, are not receiving their paychecks. "Military families are already seeking food assistance due to the financial anxiety caused by this Democratic shutdown."
A memo from the Council of Economic Advisers indicates that a one-month government shutdown would cut consumer spending by $30 billion, half of which would be the direct impact on federal employees, and the rest would be the knock-on effect on other sectors.
Furthermore, Levitt said, "If the government reopens, we'll be back to what we did last week and the week before: working on issues that matter to the American people.
It's clear that the Democrats' actions represent deliberate sabotage of our country and our people by shutting down our government." She continued, "This madness must end."
In response to a question about President Donald Trump's talk of laying off more government workers, Levitt replied, "We don't like laying people off. Nobody here is happy about that. And if you think that, I think that's very sad... Sometimes, in government, you have to make difficult decisions."
