Gluesenkamp Perez, Nunn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Highlight Economic Consequences of a Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03) introduced the bipartisan Government Shutdown Impact Report Act of 2023. This legislation requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to submit a report to Congress each day a government shutdown is in effect detailing the daily economic impacts and costs to taxpayers.

The bill provides timely data on economic and fiscal consequences to increase public transparency, provide immediate insight for lawmakers, and prompt Congress to reach a quick resolution to a shutdown.

“Every moment the government is shut down, real people face real consequences. I’ve called on House Leadership several times to work across the aisle to meet the basic job of funding our government,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “This bill ensures lawmakers have to face the daily costs a needless shutdown has on working families and our economy. The American people deserve better.”

“The American people deserve transparency and facts from their government—not politicians competing to see who can screech the loudest on the nightly news,” said Rep. Nunn. “This bipartisan bill will ensure taxpayers have the information they need to hold Washington accountable for reckless and irresponsible decision making.”

Specifically, the daily CBO reports will detail the most recent information available on:

• The day’s economic output lost due to the shutdown,
• Any decrease in the quarter’s GDP resulting from the shutdown,
• The value of any assistance, like loans, grants, and contracts, which the SBA couldn’t offer due to the shutdown,
• Revenue losses for the National Park Service due to closing lands and historic sites on that day, and
• Estimated revenue losses for that day associated with effects of the shutdown on tourism and travel, including by foreign tourists, within the U.S.

Gluesenkamp Perez has urged leadership to bring bipartisan appropriations bills to the Floor for consideration to avert an unnecessary and costly government shutdown. Read the letter from the Blue Dog Coalition here and the Democratic Freshman Class here. Further, Gluesenkamp Perez supported the Problem Solvers Caucus bipartisan framework to avert shutdown.

Bill text can be found here.