Troy Newmyer reports Economists worry ‘zero growth’ may be reality as shutdown drags on:
Kevin Hassett, the Trump administration’s top economist, acknowledged yesterday the economy may not grow at all in the first quarter if the shutdown lasts that long. And White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is eyeing an even longer impasse. He has tasked agency heads with assessing which of their programs will be jeopardized if the situation continues into April.
“Mulvaney wants the list no later than Friday … and it’s the firmest evidence to date that the White House is preparing for a lengthy funding lapse that could have snowballing consequences for the economy and government services,” my colleagues Damian Paletta and Juliet Eilperin report.
“The request is the first known inquiry from a top White House official seeking information about the spreading impact of the shutdown, which has entered its fifth week and is the longest in U.S. history. So far, top White House officials have been particularly focused on lengthening wait times at airport security, but not the sprawling interruption of programs elsewhere in the government.”
(Emphasis in original.)