The ongoing federal government shutdown, now surpassing a week, is exacting a heavy human and economic toll that reaches far beyond the political squabbling in Washington. As Democrats and Republicans remain locked in a stalemate—debating everything from health insurance subsidies to immigration policies—the immediate victims are the nation’s civil servants and, crucially, our uniformed military personnel and their families. Furthermore, the crisis is generating significant hidden costs that erode taxpayer money and damage government efficiency.