Peterson Foundation Statement on Government Shutdown

NEW YORK — Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, commented today in response to the government shutdown:
“It’s highly unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another government shutdown. Shutdowns not only interrupt federal programs and services, but they are harmful to the economy and waste time and money.
“Even after these final budget details are resolved, Washington seems content to spend a billion dollars a day on interest alone, and add $20 billion to our debt every single week. Instead of governing by crisis and brinksmanship, our leaders should work collaboratively to address the major structural challenges in our budget. We must do so in order to create the stable fiscal and economic path that all Americans deserve.”
Further Reading
Continuing Resolutions Are Stopgap Measures — But Now We Average Five a Year
While continuing resolutions can help avoid government shutdowns, they should be rarely used. However, CRs have become the norm.
What Is a Continuing Resolution?
A continuing resolution is a temporary funding measure that Congress can use to fund the federal government for a limited amount of time.
Bond Market Movements Point to Growing Fiscal Risks
As ratings agencies have serially warned, U.S. debt growth is unsustainable, and global investors appear to be weighing the risks of financing U.S. deficits more heavily.