Defense Department Comptroller Robert Hale estimates the furloughs of 400,000 civilian workers during the government shutdown cost the Pentagon at least $600 million in lost productivity, Defense News reported Thursday.Marcus Weisgerber writes Hale told a press conference Thursday the Pentagon made interest payments because it was forced to pay contractors late during the shutdown.
The funding deal passed Wednesday to end the shutdown retains across-the-board spending cuts, the article notes.
“We’re going to start executing at the continuing resolution level or a little lower, because of the enormous uncertainty and the possibility that sequestration in January,†Hale added, according to the report.
Defense News reports the Pentagon is working on two budget proposals for fiscal year 2015.
