White House officials say “Trump is playing with fire”
YemenExtra
SH.A.
Quoted from Saba News Agency, the partial suspension of US government action, the longest in its history, has cast a shadow over the US business sector, amid warnings from experts about the consequences of this severe closure.
Experts said the closure could disrupt sea and water transport and halt support for millions of poor families. The US government has stopped working partly since December 22 after the House of Representatives rejected the budget presented by US President Donald Trump for his plan to build the $ 5.7 billion border wall with Mexico.
The work of nine federal departments was suspended in part, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Justice, where staff continued to perform the necessary duties and some 380,000 employees went on unpaid leave.
Earlier this week, the Bloomberg news agency reported that the White House was preparing for the closure to last until at least the end of February, although experts warn of dire consequences.
“When the government stops working, the situation is deteriorating at a high rate,” the agency quoted Sam Berger, who worked as budget director at the White House under former US President Barack Obama.
In the complex situation of the United States, senior administration officials considered President Trump to be “playing with fire,” while others in the White House called for “to continue until the end,” that is, until the House approved the Trump plan to build the wall with Mexico, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
The White House acknowledged that the effects of the closure were worse than expected. “We are monitoring the actual impact, and we note that the impact we see on government contractors is greater than expected,” White House Council of Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett said.
US companies have also warned investors that their loss from the closure for almost a month may not be compensated. For example, Delta Airlines lost $ 25 million due to a drop in bookings.