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Peter1469
02-07-2019, 07:35 AM
Lawmakers have a lot of ideas to keep the government running, aside from passing spending bills on time. (https://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2019/02/various-plans-avert-future-government-shutdowns/154597/)

After the last, record breaking, government partial shutdown, lawmakers have introduced several bills to "solve" the problem of Congress failing in its Constitutional duty to pass budgets.


In recent weeks, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been brainstorming ways to end the practice of shutting down federal agencies if Congress cannot reach an agreement on how to fund them before a spending deadline hits.

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Still, bills from lawmakers in both parties attempting in different ways to keep agencies open if Congress misses a deadline to fund the government have piled up in recent days. They range from setting up potentially indefinite continuing resolutions to simply threatening to withhold congressional and White House salaries until negotiators reach a deal.

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1. The End Government Shutdowns Act (https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/01/senate-republicans-hatch-plan-prevent-future-shutdowns/154160/) (S. 104 (https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s104/BILLS-116s104is.pdf)): Introduced by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and cosponsored by 26 other Republicans, this bill would institute an automatic continuing resolution if a spending deal has not been enacted in time to keep the government open. For the first 120 days, the CR would continue agencies’ funding at existing levels, but after that point, agency funding would drop by 1 percent every 90 days until the president signed a new spending bill into law.



2. The STOP STUPIDITY Act (https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2019/01/plan-pay-excepted-feds-immediately-gains-momentum/154343/) (S. 198 (https://www.scribd.com/document/398006535/Stop-the-Shutdowns-Transferring-Unnecessary-Pain-and-Inflicting-Damage-In-The-Coming-Years-Act)): Introduced by Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., this bill—formally called the Stop Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage in the Coming Years Act—would implement an automatic continuing resolution for all unfunded agencies that would run until the end of the current fiscal year, but it would revoke all funding for Congress, its associated agencies and offices, and for the Executive Office of the President, effectively forcing lawmakers and the president, and their staffs, to work without pay until a deal can be reached.



3. The End Shutdowns Act (S. 281 (https://www.kaine.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/End%20Shutdowns%20Act.pdf)): Introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Wednesday, this bill is similar to Warner’s legislation and also would stop the Senate from considering any legislation or other business until a spending deal is reached, rather than revoking funding for the legislative branch and the White House.



4. The Solidarity in Salary Act (H.R. 845 (https://golden.house.gov/sites/golden.house.gov/files/documents/GOLDEN.pdf)): Introduced by Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine; Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas; and Max Rose, D-N.Y., this legislation would withhold the salaries of lawmakers, the president and vice president during a lapse in appropriations. Withheld funds would be placed into an escrow account until the government reopens, at which point the money would be disbursed to the various officials.



5. The Inaction Has Consequences Act (https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2397): Introduced by Rep. Rob Wittman, this bill simply would withhold the pay checks of members of Congress if they do not approve all regular appropriations bills by the end of a fiscal year. Under this legislation, lawmakers would still see their salaries withheld if Congress passes a continuing resolution as a stopgap measure to fund the government.


1. I don't particularly like this bill. First it allows Congress to fail to pass a budget (a Constitutional requirement. Second, mandatory across the board cuts are stupid. Agencies should have discretion over where they cut. Otherwise very important programs could fail when they should be preserved at the expense of less important programs.

2. This is a better plan. I like ceasing funding for Congress and the Executive Office of the President until they fulfill their Constitutional duty to pass a budget.

3. This would be better if it included the #2 provision of defunding Congress and the Executive Office of the President.

4. Good plan, but still keeps the government shutdown.

5. Good plan and doesn't defund the Executive Office of the President. I think this is the best plan of the 5.

Captdon
02-07-2019, 01:14 PM
No budget by 10/01, the agencies automatically shut down. No Cr's. Congress has few duties and should be spending its time on the budget.