Shutdowns are useless and harmful: End the cycle by making government work

Dec 2, 2025 by AFP

If you think that the government shutdown was useless political theater, you’re not alone.

In fact, the recent 43-day shutdown hurt everyday Americans more than politicians. Many became frustrated as flights were canceled or delayed, and food benefits were halted.

While we commend those in Congress who worked to end the shutdown, it doesn’t make it any less frustrating, especially for those whose paychecks are directly impacted by shutdowns.

Shutdowns hurt real people

This last shutdown used American families as political leverage.

Not only is that immoral, but it also wouldn’t happen in a system where the government works as intended.

When the government shuts down, it isn’t just an abstract debate in Washington. It’s real pain for real people:

Families miss paychecks. Nearly 2 million federal workers and 1.3 million service members experienced missed or uncertain paychecks, all while bills piled up.
Small businesses face uncertainty. Contractors can’t get paid, and federal loan permits grind to a halt — meaning delayed investments and lost jobs.
Veterans and seniors have to navigate delays. Some VA centers, Medicare call centers, and veteran hotlines close or slow down their services. For many, that’s not just inconvenient — that’s dangerous.
Communities lose trust. When Washington plays chicken with food benefits or paychecks, faith in government erodes, causing people to become apathetic rather than engaged.

Shutdowns don’t fix our underlying budget problems either. They create new ones, waste taxpayer money, create uncertainty for workers, and cause economic panic.

And when the dust settles, what’s Washington’s fix? Another short-term continuing resolution that simply kicks the can down the road.

You wouldn’t run your family budget this way. Why should Congress?

The solution: The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act

There’s a better way to Make Government Work again. The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act is a commonsense solution that would end shutdown chaos for good.

Here’s how it works:

Keeps the government open. If Congress misses a deadline, funding automatically continues at the same levels as the previous year. In other words, no panic, no furloughs, no missed paychecks.
Forces accountability. Lawmakers must stay in Washington until all spending bills are finished — politicians won’t be able to recess until they’ve solved the problem.
Focuses on real budgeting. Without shutdown threats, legislators can debate, amend, and improve spending bills based on need, not fear.

This is about stopping the annual budget chaos and forcing Congress to do the job it was elected to do.

Automatic funding provides Congress with the breathing room to complete its job responsibly, without holding families hostage. It also discourages last-minute, thousand-page omnibus bills packed with wasteful, hidden spending.

Other states have already proven this approach works:

North Carolina
Rhode Island
Wisconsin

All have automatic continuing appropriations, and they’ve enjoyed years of stable budgets.

Imagine a federal government that learns from that success: one that keeps services running, ends shutdown threats, and builds trust by finishing budgets on time.

How you can help hold Washington accountable

You have a voice in this fight. Washington is unlikely to fix itself, but together we can push for real reform and put an end to these useless shutdowns.

Learn more: Discover our Make Government Work agenda and other ways we are advocating for government accountability.
Get involved: Sign up to volunteer and join our grassroots army in fighting to restore accountability to government.
Dive deeper: Read this article to learn more about shutdowns and how to avoid them.

Shutdowns aren’t a sign of courage or a healthy government — they’re a sign of dysfunction. Real leadership means finishing the job and managing the budget, just like a healthy business.

It’s time we end the shutdown cycle once and for all.