Politics & Government

Report: Government Shutdown Could Cost Maryland $5M Daily

The state's economy could be hindered because many residents are federal employees.

By Adam Bednar

A memo from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s office claims furloughs of federal workers during a government shutdown could cost Maryland $5 million in income and sales tax revenues a day, according to The Washington Post.

Funding for basic government operations is set to expire Oct. 1, and stopgap legislation to keep the government running is enmeshed in a political fight over the Obama administration’s healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as "Obamacare."

If Congress doesn’t approve a bill by Oct. 1, basic federal government operations would halt, and workers would be without a paycheck until the funding is restored.

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Federal employees make up a large portion of Maryland’s workforce, and the memo, prepared by O’Malley’s budget advisers, estimates federal jobs total $25 billion in wages in the state annually, according to the Post.  

On Wednesday the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, unanimously voted to pass a procedural hurdle to allow a funding bill to be voted on. Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to remove language defunding Obamacare before the vote, according to USA Today.   

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