| Most US government shutdowns last only hours or a few days, sometimes over a long weekend when hardly anyone notices. Then when Congress passes new spending, there’s nothing to reopen — because the government never had time to fully shut down. This one is different. As the federal shutdown enters its second week, the consequences are starting to feel real. More than a quarter million federal employees missed their scheduled paychecks this week, with another two million set to go without pay if the impasse extends into a third. Some unpaid air traffic controllers are calling in sick, causing flight delays. Vendor invoices are piling up. The regional economy of Washington, DC, already teetering toward recession territory, is seeing spillover effects from lost incomes and job security.  Closed sign in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg Even the things that furloughed federal workers once took for granted — like having a job to come back to and getting back pay once the shutdown ends — now look uncertain. A draft legal memo from the White House budget office argues that back pay isn’t guaranteed — a reversal of four decades of precedent and a challenge to a 2019 law that made such payments automatic. President Donald Trump has gone further, saying some workers “don’t deserve to be taken care of.” The administration is also weighing laying off workers and canceling federal grants, steps that would turn a temporary lapse in funding into a lasting loss of jobs and services. What began as a now-routine Washington standoff over funding with few tangible effects has become a national concern. Federal workers are feeling it first. The rest of the country may not be far behind. Economists warn that each week the shutdown continues costs about a tenth of a percentage point of GDP. This might be a good time for a reminder that there are at least 535 federal employees who aren’t feeling a personal financial toll. Members of Congress continue to get paid under the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents their salaries from changing during their terms. Originally meant to prevent members from voting themselves a pay raise without facing voters, it now insulates them from the cost of their inaction.— Gregory Korte Read More: | 
