News Channel 9 continued its coverage of the local impact of the Federal government shutdown. CRER director and chief economist Howard Wall provided his views on who will be affected most.
“It’s probably the federal employees that are the ones who who bear the brunt of the economic effects.”
“They’re not being paid, so some of them actually still work, but they’re not being paid until this impasse is over and others are sent home and not being paid.”
Wall says what could see a change are the payouts of federal grants.
“Those offices are shut down because they’re a lower priority than, say, Social Security and veterans benefits.”
Wall says that these government shutdowns usually don’t last long enough to see an effect just mostly an nuisance.
“They are certainly an inconvenience to a lot of people, particularly the federal employees, who don’t get get paid, but they end up getting paid in the end, for the you know, their back pay.”
Wall also told us that even though the TVA is federal, those at TVA will not be affected by this shutdown as they are not funded by the federal budget.