U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the Shutdown and Tariffs

Pointing to the temporary reprieve from the longest government shutdown in American history, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls on Congress and the administration to work together to keep the government open. “Our nation simply cannot afford another shutdown. Our message to Washington’s leaders is simple: do your jobs so Americans can do theirs,” wrote Chamber President Thomas J. Donohue in a recent commentary.

Thirty-five days. Eight-hundred thousand furloughed workers. More than five billion dollars in damage to the U.S. economy. This was the government shutdown by the numbers—and the numbers don’t even begin to tell the human story, Donohue said, describing the near-bankruptcy experienced by one tourist island hotel owner who was cut off from his customers when the National Park Service suspended ferry transport.