WASHINGTON — Lawmakers have less than three weeks to figure out a plan for border security or the government could quickly be shut down again.
- $3 billion lost during shutdown will not be recovered
- Trump has appeared doubtful about a deal
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So while the negotiations ramp up in pursuit of a deal, what exactly did the longest government shutdown in U.S. history cost?
President Donald Trump has appeared doubtful that a deal will actually be reached — further compounding the billions the shutdown has already cost, according to economists.
A new estimate from the congressional budget office shows the shutdown, which lasted 35 days, costs billions — including $3 billion that will not be recovered.
Now, lawmakers have three weeks to find a funding proposal that everyone can agree on, including Trump, before the government runs out of money again on Feb. 15.
"The president doesn't want to go through another shutdown," said White House Spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "That's not the goal, the goal is border security."
Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, told USA Today another shutdown would "metastasize throughout the economy" and shatter the consumer confidence that he says mostly held up during the 35-day shutdown.