A top budget expert has warned that the nation could ‘spiral out of control’ within days as the government shutdown threatens to leave thousands of essential workers and troops unpaid.

The shutdown has dragged into its fifth day with no end in sight and both sides are still locked in a bitter blame game.

At the center of the standoff is the Democratic party’s refusal to pass a reconciliation bill unless Republicans agree to restore the healthcare funding slashed over the summer.

Yet neither party wants to be blamed for leaving federal workers and service members unpaid, after the Congressional Budget Office warned that about 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day the shutdown rumbles on. 

Budget expert Richard Stern has now issued a stark warning that the country could be just six days away from ‘spiraling out of control’ if federal workers go unpaid, according to Fox News.

Federal employees are set to be paid on October 10, and military personnel on October 15, but it’s still uncertain whether either group will see their paychecks.

‘This gets to the question of when do things start spiraling out of control?’ Stern told the outlet.

‘Some of these program expirations, as the shutdown drags on, might put more of a fire under Congress on both sides to reach a deal, whatever it means,’ he added.

Top budget expert Richard Stern (pictured) warned the government shutdown could leave thousands of essential workers and troops unpaid, risking the nation ‘spiraling out of control’ within days 

At the center of the standoff is the Democratic party’s refusal to pass a reconciliation bill unless Republicans agree to restore the healthcare funding slashed over the summer

Federal employees are set to be paid on October 10, and military personnel on October 15, but it’s still uncertain whether either group will see their paychecks (Pictured: Federal workers rally on September 30) 

President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought suggested tapping certain guaranteed funds outlined in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act to ensure federal employees continue to see their money.

This would guarantee that service members, Border Patrol agents, and other Homeland Security personnel don’t see their paychecks interrupted amid the chaos. 

Stern, the director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at the Heritage Foundation, said the move could ultimately help Democrats dodge political fallout.

However, he pointed out that the White House had cautioned just days before the shutdown that a government closure would still trigger major consequences. 

The administration stressed that a shutdown could put military pay, veterans’ critical care, firefighter salaries, disaster relief and countless other essential programs at serious risk. 

According to Stern, the longer the shutdown continues, the greater the risk that funding could fail – leaving essential services vulnerable to collapse, as reported by Fox.

Trump stressed that the cutbacks could be used to inflict maximum pain on Democrats, arguing that, ‘we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them.’

But Stern insisted that Democratic leaders are still pointing fingers at the GOP, despite their own choice to reject a temporary spending bill that ultimately triggered the shutdown. 

Stern insisted that Democratic leaders are still pointing fingers at the GOP, despite their own choice to reject a temporary spending bill that ultimately triggered the shutdown

According to Stern, the longer the shutdown continues, the greater the risk that funding could fail leaving essential services vulnerable to collapse

Trump stressed that the cutbacks could be used to inflict maximum pain on Democrats, arguing that ‘we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them’

He said the party’s actions show that they have ultimately decided to ‘stomp their feet and make a dramatic situation out of it,’ according to Fox.

‘Republicans passed a clean, seven-week funding bill. They offered them the ability to fund the government for seven weeks and continue negotiations,’ Stern told the outlet.

‘It was superfluous,’ he added. ‘It really was gratuitous of them so say, no, we demand the shutdown.’ 

While Democrats aim to restore foreign aid funding, much of it, Stern argued, would go toward programs he opposes, including transgender surgeries and overseas abortions. 

‘They want more money to go to NPR and PBS, that spread left-wing propaganda,’ he told Fox.

The largest item, Stern noted, is a $1.5 trillion extension of a welfare program that he claims will overwhelmingly benefit wealthy Americans. 

He worried that Democrats are prioritizing funding for overseas programs and left-leaning organizations, which he believes are politically driven and fiscally reckless requests.

‘They want to remove anti-fraud provisions that were passed in the One Big, Beautiful Bill. Not only would that increase fraud, but it will actually effectively expand these welfare benefits to legal aliens,’ Stern told the outlet.

Stern said the Democrats’ actions show that they have ultimately decided to ‘stomp their feet and make a dramatic situation out of it’ (pictured: Federal workers rally on September 5)

While Democrats aim to restore foreign aid funding, much of it, Stern (pictured) argued, would go toward programs he opposes, including transgender surgeries and overseas abortions

Stern worried that Democrats are prioritizing funding for overseas programs and left-leaning organizations, which he believes are politically driven and fiscally reckless requests

‘So, it’s hard to understand where they’re coming from, but that’s what they’re asking,’ he added.

‘At the end of the day, I think they’re going to get the blame that I think they deserve.’

Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman, who voted with Republicans to keep the government open, told NBC News if the shutdown is being used for ‘entertainment,’ then ‘this is really a s**t show.’

‘I am frustrated. Why are we shutting the government down?’ Fetterman asked. ‘You know, we should have a conversation. Why can’t we agree?’ 

After failing to pass a funding bill on Thursday afternoon, Vice President JD Vance told reporters that he doesn’t think the shutdown will last much longer. 

‘I actually don’t think it’s going to be that long of a shutdown,’ he said at the White House press briefing.

‘I can’t predict what Congressional Democrats are going to do. This is a pure guess from the Vice President of the United States because I think you already saw some evidence that moderate Democrats are cracking a little bit,’ he added. ‘They understand the fundamental illogic of this.’ 

Travel experts have warned that the government shutdown will create chaos at airports nationwide, and many visitors arriving at federally funded tourist attractions on Wednesday found them closed. 

After failing to pass a funding bill on Thursday afternoon, Vice President JD Vance told reporters that he doesn’t think the shutdown will last much longer

The air traffic controllers’ union sounded the alarm Friday as FAA funding ran out, with lawmakers calling a weekend resolution ‘unlikely’

There is no telling how long the shutdown could last. Trump presided over the longest government shutdown in US history – a staggering 35 days in 2018

The air traffic controllers’ union president raised the alarm on Friday as FAA funding officially ran out at midnight, while lawmakers say a resolution before the weekend now seems ‘unlikely’.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN that the shutdown is an ‘unnecessary distraction’ for workers.

There is no telling how long the shutdown could last. Trump presided over the longest government shutdown in US history – a staggering 35 days in 2018.