Congress should also have to remain in Washington until the budget is finished, according to survey.
WASHINGTON, D.C. —A new YouGov poll, commissioned by Americans for Prosperity, finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans across party lines (80%) believe the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act should be put up a for a vote. Sixty-six percent of registered voters also said they were more likely to vote for a politician who supported the legislation. Additionally, 81% also support requiring Congress to remain in Washington and in session until the budget is finished, with only 3% opposed to the idea.
The YouGov poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters, and other findings include that 62% oppose government shutdowns and 68% believe they hurt Congress’ ability to help the country succeed.
Click here for top lines and crosstabs.
For too long, Washington has lurched from one budget deadline to the next, relying on last-minute negotiations, stopgap spending bills, and shutdown threats that create uncertainty for families, workers, businesses, and taxpayers. AFP believes the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act (PGSA) is the best practical solution to eliminate shutdowns as a political weapon while preserving Congress’s responsibility to complete the annual appropriations process and helping them govern better, unlike other shutdown-related bills that would simply reduce their impact or keep funding flowing.
Kurt Couchman, Senior Fellow in Fiscal Policy, Americans for Prosperity, issued the following statement.
“Government shutdowns are the worst kind of politics because American taxpayers always lose. For years, Washington has operated under a cycle of crisis-to-crisis governing that produces rushed legislation, bad policy, and unnecessary uncertainty for the American people. The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would take shutdowns off the table, keep Congress focused on completing its work, and hold lawmakers accountable for delivering a timely budget. Americans deserve true representation, not manufactured crises and last-minute brinkmanship.”
PGSA has robust, bipartisan support. Senators James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) lead 20 bipartisan senators, and Representatives Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Jimmy Pannetta (D-California) co-lead 21 representatives.
Under PGSA, government funding would continue at existing levels if Congress fails to complete appropriations on time, preventing disruptions to federal services and protecting Americans from the consequences of congressional dysfunction. At the same time, lawmakers would be required to remain in Washington and continue working until the appropriations process is completed.
AFP’s Kurt Couchman has also kept a running list of myths vs facts on the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act. Read it here.
Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites activists in all 50 states behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org
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