Microsoft President Calls for End to Government Shutdown, Citing International Concerns

*By Amanda Weston* Microsoft President Brad Smith called for an end to the government shutdown during an appearance on Cheddar Thursday, saying that the political stalemate in the U.S. is contributing to broader international instability resulting from the ongoing Brexit chaos and weakness in the Chinese economy. "This is not good for this economy, especially at the same time that the U.K. is dealing with another round of Brexit issues, at a time when Chinese economic indicators were not as positive in December," Smith said. "We need our political leaders to come together, get this government reopened, pay the people who are keeping our airports safe, and get this economy firing on all of its cylinders." Smith's comments come as the partial government shutdown, officially the longest in U.S. history, was in its 27th day, with hundreds of thousands of federal employees still on unpaid leave. President Donald Trump and Democrats remain at odds over funding for border security, including Trump's signature campaign promise of a wall. Smith said companies are feeling the impact of the stalemate. "You can debate how much harm it's doing to the economy," the Microsoft ($MSFT) president said. "One thing is indisputable: it's not helping to have the government closed." "There are companies that are not going public. There are companies that are not bringing products to the market." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/we-can-only-be-successful-if-the-community-is-successful-microsoft-president-says).

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