According to the Washington Post, a new study shows that, in its fifth week, the partial government shutdown has racked up a cost of $6 billion dollars in unpaid wages to furloughed workers. That number, you may note, is higher than the $5.7 billion that Trump has demanded to fund the border wall.
From the Post:
The study from Sentier Research, an Annapolis-based research firm, used data from an annual household survey by the U.S. Census Bureau to create a sample of 833,000 federal workers and found that the average furloughed worker has lost $5,600 in wages so far in the shutdown. Collectively, these workers are owed $4.7 billion. The number will jump to $6 billion at the end of the week, when many will miss their paychecks for the second time.
This is three times the amount of backpay that was owed at the end of the last shutdown, which lasted 16 days.
Lara Trump, the president’s daughter in law, told workers today that the shutdown was really no big deal.
“It is a little bit of pain, but it’s going to be for the future of our country and their children and their grandchildren, and generations after them will thank them for their sacrifice right now,” she said.
“I would just tell [federal workers] please stay strong,” she continued. “We appreciate everything that you’re sacrificing. We are behind you and we’re going to do everything we can. I know the president is doing everything he can to resolve this quickly.”
Actual government employees say that the shutdown is more than “a little bit of pain.” Many federal workers are worried about paying for their basic needs. Food banks in the D.C. area have been overwhelmed by demand.
Don’t forget: all of this unnecessary suffering is because of one stubborn idiot’s obsession with a useless border wall.