A demand from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation's largest federal workers union, for Congress to immediately end the ongoing government shutdown could "make a difference" in the standoff, Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., told Newsmax on Tuesday.
"I think it will make a difference," the Montana Republican told "Wake Up America." "Shutting down the government is always a bad idea. It costs $400 million a day."
"What it ends up hurting are the people who just need a little help sometimes, [through] WIC, SNAP, or loans. It's really the functioning of America," he added.
The AFGE, which represents more than 800,000 federal workers, urged lawmakers to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government, now entering its fourth week, reports The Wall Street Journal.
"It's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today," said Everett Kelley, the union's president.
The union's appeal puts new pressure on Senate Democrats, who have repeatedly blocked a Republican-backed measure that would fund the government without additional policy provisions.
Zinke, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said the shutdown's impact deepens the longer it continues, particularly in essential sectors such as transportation and infrastructure.
"The further you go in, the deeper the pain becomes," he said. "Air traffic controllers are essential, but the contracts that keep the airports running, the lights, the screens, the maintenance, they atrophy over time. We won't have unsafe skies, but we'll have more delays."
He added that the shutdown affects not only government employees but also their families.
"A lot of federal employees do great work, but they should get paid for it," Zinke said. "A lot of these guys are entry-level. They don't make a lot of money."
"You're not just hurting the employees; you're hurting their families, so let's stop the nonsense and get back to work," he added.
Zinke, who served as Interior secretary under President Donald Trump, said the 2019 shutdown showed that while the government can operate under limited funding for a time, the longer it lasts, the greater the economic harm.
"You can sustain it for a while, but the further you go, the less latitude you have," he said.
"Research and development will atrophy, contingency funds will shrink, and it will start hurting America," the congressman added.
"Look, the economy is not great," he said. "This is a drain and a distraction. We need to appropriate, do our job, and get back to work."
Turning to international issues, Zinke praised Trump's diplomatic outreach ahead of trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying cooperation, not confrontation, should define the U.S.-China relationship.
"We don't have to be an adversary to China, and China doesn't have to be an adversary to us," he said. "We can bridge a deal. You've got the greatest dealmaker on the face of the planet, peacemaker, dealmaker. Let's make America the place to do the deal."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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