GOP senator seeks CBO cost analysis on potential shutdown as funding talks stall

A Senate Republican pressed the Congressional Budget Office on producing a sweeping cost analysis of a possible partial government shutdown, as lawmakers from both parties remained at an impasse over keeping the government open ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus named after tech-billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, wrote to CBO Director Phillip Swagel asking for a comprehensive assessment of the economic operational impact a shutdown could have. The letter laid out a broad wish list: how a shutdown would affect back pay for furloughed non-essential employees, military pay, and congressional pay; the broader economic ripple through the private sector; and the cost of unfulfilled procurements or lapsed contracts. It also sought analysis of how government-produced services—such as loans, permits and certifications—would be disrupted and how affected businesses could recover once funding was restored. The senator faulted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for what she described as forcing a government-wide shutdown to reveal who is and isn’t an essential employee.

![Ernst addresses shutdown concerns](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1024/512/joni-ernst-shutdown-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1