PARIS: Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has blamed the current US government shutdown on politicians prioritising the interests of the rich over poor Americans.
The US government halted all but non-essential operations after Democrats and Republican lawmakers failed to agree on a funding deal for the new fiscal year.
Government shutdowns are a periodic feature of gridlocked Washington politics.
This marks the first shutdown since a record 35-day pause in 2019 during Donald Trump’s first presidential term.
Democrats have withheld votes to fund the government as leverage to force negotiations.
They are motivated by grassroots anger over expiring healthcare subsidies and Trump’s dismantling of government agencies.
Stiglitz told AFP that Republicans would rather shut down the government than provide healthcare for the poor.
He described this situation as what happens when you have a government run by oligarchs who don’t care about the poorest people in society.
The economist made these comments while attending a French parliamentary debate on taxing the ultra-rich.
This debate was part of France’s efforts to bolster its strained public finances.
Stiglitz previously served as chief economist at the World Bank in the late 1990s.
He also chaired US President Bill Clinton’s council of economic advisers earlier in his career. – AFP
