Senator Reintroduces Legislation to Prevent Government Shutdowns as Funding Deadline Looms
The September 30, 2021 end of the fiscal year is approaching and, without a single appropriations bill passed in the Senate, the risk of a shutdown is ever present. To mitigate this threat, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) reintroduced The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2021 on September 14, 2021. The bill would enact an automatic continuing resolution upon Congress’ failure to pass appropriations or a continuing resolution. The automatic continuing resolution would renew every 14 days based on the current spending levels for the previous year.
The bipartisan legislation is cosponsored joined by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Sass (R-NE), Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) took to the Senate floor on September 14, 2021, to announce the bill’s introduction and stress its importance, “This chaos for the American people and… the federal workforce happens all over the country simply because Congress did not get its job done. The solution is simple: hold the American people and federal workers harmless, and push members of Congress to finish the work.”
While the automatic continuing resolution is in effect members of Congress, personal staff, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) staff and leadership, would not be able to utilize taxpayer-funded travel allowances or campaign funds for official business, and no motions to recess or adjourn in both Houses of Congress would be allowed for longer than 23 hours. These stipulations are to remain in place until the President signs appropriation legislation
Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) supported the bill to prevent a government-wide shut down and to maintain the federal workforce despite their essential or non-essential status. “…[O]ur bipartisan bill would help ensure that the government remains open until Congress can come together and agree on a spending bill,” Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said in a release announcing the bill’s reintroduction this Congress, “Our commonsense legislation will hold lawmakers accountable by requiring them to stay in Washington until they reach an agreement.”
Alternatively, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced the Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2021. Although this bill also aims to prevent government shutdowns, it would do so by imposing mandatory one percent spending cuts every 90 days rather than restricting travel and motions for recess. The bill would enact an automatic continuing resolution if Congress does not pass an appropriations measure or continuing resolution by the start of the fiscal year. It proposes a 90-day period with 99 percent of the previous year's appropriations continuing, with a one percent across the board funding reduction every subsequent 90-day period that Congress has not funded the federal government.
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) have proposed The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act in three previous Congress’. Currently, the bill has been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for review.
