Closing Down Government Cost $33 Million

The half-day shutdown of the U.S. government, caused by a spending squabble between Capitol Hill and the White House, cost taxpayers at least $33 million, a congressional study said today.

Twenty-five percent of the federal work force--about 556,000 employees from National Park Service workers in the Rocky Mountains to office clerks in the nation’s capital--were sent home at noon Oct. 17.

The Defense Department was mostly spared of the furloughs, but the House civil service subcommittee study said the operations of other agencies were caught in the shutdown.

For example, 99.8% of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s 21,911 employees were deemed non-essential and eligible for the half-day holiday, along with 98.3% of the people working for the Education Department and 73.4% of the Treasury Department’s employees.

Estimation of Loss

The subcommittee study estimated the government loses $62 million a day--in salaries, administrative costs and lost productivity--when it closes non-essential services.

Since this year’s shutdown lasted only half a day, the study estimated it cost taxpayers $33 million.

The bulk of the money, about $28 million, will be paid to the furloughed employees despite their time off, said Andrew Feinstein, the subcommittee’s staff director.

After an agreement was reached on a government spending bill, which triggered the shutdown, Congress approved a provision to pay the workers for the afternoon they were sent home.

“It was Congress’ fault that it happened . . . they figured it was an injustice to these people,” a Reagan Administration official said.