(2-minute read) FEDERAL PROGRAMS WOULD SIMPLY CONTINUE
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski together with Sens. 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) today introduced legislation – the End Government Shutdowns Act – that would permanently prevent the federal government from shutting down.
The measure will create an automatic continuing resolution for any regular appropriations bill or existing CR, keeping the federal government open when budget negotiations falter before key spending deadlines.
“The ripple effect of a government shutdown has consequences for all Alaskans– most directly on the thousands of federal employees and tens of thousands more that rely on our federal agencies,” said Murkowski.
“This legislation permanently ends government shutdowns with a commonsense solution to avoid a funding lapse, ensuring the jobs and livelihoods of federal workers and contractors are not held hostage during political disputes,” she said. “For the sake of our federal employees, their families, and our nation, I’m proud to support the End Government Shutdowns Act.”
The End Government Shutdowns Act would set up an automatic continuing resolution for any regular appropriations bill that has not been completed by the October 1 deadline.
After the first 120 days, the continuing resolution funding would 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.
The legislation mirrors one that Sen. Portman has introduced in every Congress since he was first elected to the United States Senate in 2010.
DEEP STATE — ENDING THE CONGRESS’ POWER OF APPROPRIATION
The major constitutional role of the U.S. Congress is appropriations — to pass budget bills and finally a budget.
With a government simply continuing to operate under a continuing resolution after continuing resolution, government would become simply a perpetual machine that operates outside of the authority of the appropriators.
Would it be the ultimate Deep State? Critics say it could be creating that very thing that many Republicans are concerned about — the varied elements of government that are effectively able to rule the United States without the consent of the governed as exercised through the formal political process that starts with elections and results in appropriations.
Remarks from Sen. Lisa Murkowski on the Senate floor regarding border security and partial government shutdown:
