BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): We're on day 18 of the government shutdown, making it the second longest shutdown in U.S. history. Nine out of 15 federal departments are closed, as well as dozens of agencies. And our next guest is asking if the government is closed, why are innocent taxpayers paying the government's bills anyway? Joining me how is Washington Times opinion editor and Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt. I'm a little hurt that you don't have Fox News first in your title and you have the opinion editor second. But real quick Charlie, what do you mean? We would not even know that many of these agencies were shut down you say. 

CHARLIE HURT (FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR): Oh my goodness, are you kidding me? You could shut down half of the government agencies and literally it would be years, if it were not for the media, it would be years before the regular person, the normal, average working American would even know that the department had been shut down -- in terms of how much it effects their lives. You could shut the Department of Labor down. How long would it be before the average American would even realize that the Department of Labor wasn't operating anymore? And I get it, you know, your heart breaks for these federal employees who are hugely inconvenienced. But let's not forget, that's not what the federal government is about. We didn't design a federal government in order to employ people. We designed a federal government to do a list of basic things for the country. The first ten of which are to guard the border and to make sure that we don't get invaded and yet, they can't even do that straight.

But the thing that really just sort of appalls me is the fact that, you know, what other line of work could you have -- you know, if you were selling cars, and then went and -- because your company was so dysfunctional you had to go and repossess all the cars you'd sold in the previous year, you wouldn't expect people to continue to make their car payments. That's exactly what's going on here. So I really -- some smart legislator should introduce legislation that prohibits the federal government from collecting any taxes while the federal government is shutdown. And then we'd have a real problem. And the biggest problem, you know what it would be Brian? It would be the fact that people would get used to getting their entire paycheck. They'd get used to actually getting the entire amount of money that they earn each pay period and they wouldn't -- they'd be a little bit picky about going back to the high rates of taxes we pay. 

Previously: 

Fox & Friends host: Trump will “look like a loser” if he doesn't shutdown the government over border wall funding

Steve Doocy plays down effects of Trump's government shutdown: “A lot of people don't feel it”

Fox & Friends guest encourages a GOP government shutdown for Trump's border wall: “Shut down government”

Trump’s Fox cabinet returns from vacation, urges him to “stay strong” on shutdown