The routine threat, and occasional occurrence, \u200cof federal government shutdowns has not served \u2063anyone well. <\/p>\n

The process ends up providing temporary \u200cdisruption of \u2063federal government \u2064functions\u2064 that are nonetheless significant \u200cfor those affected, including \u2062everything from border security to\u2064 medical research. Even the threat of\u200c shutdowns increases costs and wastes the effort of having \u200dto develop \u2064contingency plans.<\/p>\n

Shutdown politics\u200b almost always results in a last-minute budget-busting \u201comnibus\u201d bill that is crafted in secret with little detail available\u2064 to the \u2062public, or \u200ceven many lawmakers,\u200c until shortly before it receives a vote.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re always driven to these crisis situations\u200c by partisan brinkmanship. Both sides claim to have\u200d leverage, but the reality is the\u00a0ticking clock favors\u200b the \u2062people loading up \u200dmassive bills with more spending, more crony \u2062carve-outs, and more junk they \u200cknow their colleagues\u2064 are never going to read. If anything, the perennial shutdown threats have\u2062 given them cover to\u200b operate with impunity.<\/p>\n

Americans deserve better. A group of legislators has offered a better path forward with the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act (PGSA). Unfortunately, the Senate has thus \u200cfar failed to\u200c act. The House should waste no time passing this legislation and \u2062return it to the Senate to correct\u200b its mistake. <\/p>\n

The PGSA would take shutdown crisis scenarios off the table for good by automatically maintaining\u200b current spending levels\u2063 during budget stalemates until the enactment of new appropriations legislation. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

It would also encourage Congress to pass appropriations bills by keeping both chambers in session every day, barring the use of\u200d official or campaign funds to leave the Washington, D.C., area, and setting a high bar to consider\u2063 other legislation until the enactment \u2064of all\u200b appropriations bills is completed.<\/p>\n

The\u200b legislation \u2064is authored by Sens. \u2064James Lankford, R-Okla., \u2062and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., as well\u2062 as Reps. Jodey Arrington, \u200dR-Texas, and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s much to like in this bill and little to draw \u200dopposition from most citizens. By\u200b maintaining current spending levels<\/a> as Congress hashes out next year\u2019s appropriations, the legislation will \u2064ultimately provide more efficient spending than the last-minute, budget-busting spendathon that occurs \u2064when a \u200bgovernment shutdown \u200bis followed by \u2063a bloated omnibus bill.<\/p>\n

The legislation will also\u2063 preserve existing government functions as \u2063new spending bills are\u2062 debated\u200c for the coming fiscal \u2064year.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

States Use \u2063This Approach<\/h2>\n
This is not a controversial idea. Instead, it is one \u200cproven viable at the\u2062 state level. Several states have provisions that require automatic continuing resolutions\u2064 when a state budget agreement \u2062is not reached prior to the \u2063end \u200cof the current budget year. North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island have comprehensive continuing-resolution laws, while\u200b partial measures exist in Alaska, Arizona, California,\u200c Florida, Georgia,\u200c Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,\u2064 Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia,\u2062 and \u200dWyoming.<\/p>\n
That\u200c list includes both Democratic-leaning and Republican-leaning states.<\/p>\n
The process proposed by\u2063 the PGSA \u2064would give \u2062more federal lawmakers input into the\u200d budget process, especially compared \u2064to\u200c the select few\u2062 involved in drafting omnibus measures. That should appeal to\u2062 Democrats and\u200d Republicans alike.<\/p>\n

Shutdowns Increase Spending<\/h2>\n
The simple\u2064 fact is\u200c that the\u2062 government shutdown theater we \u2064see each year in Washington has done \u200dnothing\u200d to rein in spending or improve \u200dgovernment. In fact, just\u2062 the \u2064opposite. The result is typically an\u200b omnibus \u200cbill that is \u200cmore than 1,000 pages long, loaded with special interest giveaways, and voted on before anyone\u200d has \u200ba chance to \u200cread it. Lawmakers \u200baren\u2019t voting for \u200dgood policy; they\u2019re voting to avoid a \u2063shutdown. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s\u200d a different story in states with\u200d automatic continuing resolutions. In North Carolina, automatic \u2063continuing resolutions allowed state lawmakers<\/a> to \u200bultimately pass a state budget that included\u200c tax cuts and universal school choice this year.<\/p>\n
When something is obviously broken,\u2064 you need to fix it. As long as the threat of a government \u200bshutdown looms, we\u2019ll keep repeating \u200dthis \u2064insane cycle.\u00a0But there\u2019s no reason to continue \u200bgoverning crisis\u200b to crisis. It\u2019s \u2062time for Washington to \u2063get\u00a0back to passing policy\u00a0on the merits, \u200bnot because\u00a0it\u2019s the only way to\u200b sidestep a crisis. <\/p>\n
The PGSA would promote a much better system for federal budgeting. Americans should encourage their congressional lawmakers to support \u2062it \u2014 and the \u200cHouse \u2063should heed that encouragement by \u200cpassing the \u2064Prevent Government \u200bShutdowns Act immediately. <\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
rnrn <\/p>\n
How\u2062 does the Prevent \u200bGovernment Shutdowns Act provide stability for government agencies and the people who rely on their services?<\/h2>\n
\u200c Uth Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Washington.<\/p>\n
These states have recognized the importance of maintaining government operations<\/a> and services even when budget negotiations are at a standstill. By implementing automatic continuing resolutions,\u200c they ensure that essential functions continue without interruption and prevent the devastating consequences\u2063 of a government shutdown.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
The federal government should \u200cfollow suit. The Prevent\u2064 Government Shutdowns Act is a \u200bpractical solution to a recurring problem. \u2064It \u2063eliminates the uncertainty and chaos associated with\u2062 shutdowns and provides stability for \u200cgovernment agencies and the people who rely on\u2062 their\u200b services.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the PGSA encourages responsible fiscal management by placing pressure on Congress to pass appropriations bills\u200c in\u200d a timely manner. By keeping both\u200c chambers in session and restricting the\u2064 use \u200bof public \u200cfunds for travel outside of Washington,\u200c D.C., lawmakers are incentivized to stay\u200b focused on their primary\u2064 task\u2014ensuring the government is funded and operational.<\/p>\n
Now is the time for Congress to take action. \u200cBy \u2063passing the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, lawmakers can \u200cdemonstrate \u2064their\u2064 commitment to good governance and their dedication to serving the American people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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How\u2062 does the Prevent \u200bGovernment Shutdowns Act provide stability for government agencies and the people who rely on their services?<\/h2>\n \u200c Uth Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Washington.<\/p>\n