Starbucks CEO Calls For End to Government Shutdown

Howard Schultz says he's 'utterly disappointed by the level of irresponsibility and dysfunction' in Washington

  • Share
  • Read Later
Kevin P. Casey / Bloomberg / Getty Images

Howard Schultz, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks Corp.

The outspoken CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, penned an open letter Monday calling for an end to the federal government shutdown and partisan discord in Washington, asking fellow business leaders to help “address the crisis of confidence that is needlessly being set in motion.”

“Like so many of you, I find myself utterly disappointed by the level of irresponsibility and dysfunction we are witness to with our elected political leadership,” Schultz wrote on the company website as the government shutdown entered its second week.

“I’d like to encourage you to consider what your companies and organizations can do to help shift the norms of our country back toward civility, compromise and problem-solving,” he said.

This isn’t the first instance in which Schultz has waded into politically charged waters. The CEO of the world’s largest coffee chain called in 2011 for lawmakers to reach a deal during a rancorous debt ceiling debate. Last month, after a spate of mass shootings, Schultz asked customers to voluntarily keep guns out of Starbucks stores.