To the Members of the United States Senate:
As the world’s largest business organization, representing members ranging from the small businesses and chambers of commerce across the country to the leading industry associations and global corporations, we urge you to pass the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026. This legislation will fund the government at current levels, ensuring that the government functions millions of Americans rely on every day can continue as normal and that businesses who contract with the federal government do not experience any lapse in payments.
While businesses of all sizes need certainty through longer-term funding measures, history warns us that even a partial government shutdown has ripple effects on the U.S. economy. When the government partially shut down from December 2018 to January 2019, analysts estimate it reduced economic output by $11 billion in the following two quarters, including $3 billion the U.S. economy never regained[1].
Shutdowns are harmful to the economy, the American people, and our national security. Therefore, the U.S. Chamber urges you to pass the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer,
and Head of Strategic Advocacy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
[1]https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/issue-briefs?id=B7FCE9F4-4DFE-495C-8263-AD277CE4716B#:~:text=The%20Congressional%20Budget%20Office%20(CBO,the%20U.S.%20economy%20never%20regained
