Why government shutdowns can be expensive for American taxpayers

Government Spending & Shutdown Costs - Government shutdowns can cost taxpayers money [1] - A 2013 shutdown led to an estimated $10 million loss due to uncollected fees and charges [2] - Back pay to furloughed employees during the 2013 shutdown amounted to $25 billion [2] Discretionary vs Mandatory Spending - Congress controls approximately $18 trillion in discretionary funding for fiscal year 2024 [3] - Mandatory programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid cost $41 trillion in the same fiscal year [3] - Interest payments alone totaled $881 billion [3] Economic Impact - Shutdowns can be quite expensive for American taxpayers due to their impact on the economy [3]