Report: Government Shutdown Could Cost Maryland $5M Daily

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.

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.   

Also on Patch:

• President Obama Comes to Maryland to Tout Affordable Health Care
• Obamacare: How it Works in Maryland
• Maryland National Example in Obamacare Implementation