A group of nine Republican Senators introduced new legislation Friday to permanently end government shutdowns.
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Enzi (R-WY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the End Government Shutdowns Act ensuring that essential government services aren’t disrupted and protecting taxpayers who must bear the resulting cost.
According to a press statement from Portman, the measure will create an automatic continuing resolution (CR) for any regular appropriations bill not completed by the October 1 deadline. After the first 120 days, CR funding will be reduced by one percent and would be reduced by one percent again every 90 days thereafter until Congress does its job and completes the annual appropriations process. Portman has introduced this legislation in every Congress since he was first elected to the United States Senate in 2010.
“It’s disappointing that both sides didn’t resolve this matter weeks ago. Shutdowns inevitably costs taxpayers more money once the government reopens. I hope that both parties come together and reach an agreement that brings a resolution to this issue as quickly as possible,” Portman said. “Moving forward, we should end government shutdowns for good. This legislation will accomplish that goal, providing lawmakers with more time to reach a responsible resolution to budget negotiations, giving federal workers and their families more stability, and ensuring we avoid disruptions that ultimately hurt our economy, taxpayers and working families.”
“It costs money to shut down the government and it costs more money to reopen it. When the government shuts down, Americans are deprived of essential services and their tax dollars are needlessly wasted. Shutdowns also erode the trust between citizens and their government. This legislation would help ensure that policy stalemates and political interests would no longer get in the way of government’s duty to serve the American people. It would also create additional certainty and confidence in the government’s ability to function on behalf of the citizens it serves,” Grassley said.