A 43-day government halt just knocked $11B straight out of the U.S. economy—permanent damage, not temporary. But here's the flip side: with rates cooling down and tax relief on the horizon, some folks in D.C. are betting on stronger growth in 2026. Classic trade-off situation—short-term pain, long-term hopium. The real question? Whether rate cuts can actually offset that structural hit or if we're just painting lipstick on a wounded economy.