ARLINGTON, VA—. According to a Fox News report, Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are renewing efforts to advance the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, legislation designed to prevent government shutdowns by ensuring federal operations continue while Congress completes its appropriations process.
America’s Prosperity has long supported reforms to end shutdowns and protect Americans from repeated funding lapses that disrupt services, delay paychecks, and create unnecessary uncertainty for federal workers, contractors, and families. Shutdowns do not resolve policy disagreements—they shift the cost of congressional dysfunction onto the American public.
Recent analysis from Sen. Lankford and Will Burger of Americans for Prosperity highlights the real-world consequences of shutdowns, including disruptions to critical services and avoidable harm to federal workers and the public. Their work underscores growing bipartisan recognition that shutdown politics are unsustainable.
“Americans should not be caught in the middle of Washington’s failure to complete basic funding responsibilities,” said Kurt Couchman, Senior Policy Fellow at Americans for Prosperity. “The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act keeps government open, protects federal workers from uncertainty, and ensures Congress is accountable for doing its job without shifting the burden onto families and taxpayers.”
Couchman added that the reform would strengthen the appropriations process while maintaining Congress’s responsibility to debate spending priorities.
“Shutdowns are not a governing tool—they are a governing failure,” Couchman said. “This legislation ensures government continues functioning while lawmakers stay at the table until funding is completed.”
“Senators Lankford and Hassan deserve credit for continuing to advance a commonsense solution to a broken process,” said Will Burger, Senior Policy Affairs Liaison at Americans for Prosperity. “We will be urging all Members of Congress to support this legislation and finally put an end to the crisis-to-crisis brinkmanship that has defined Washington for far too long.”
An Americans for Prosperity-YouGov poll revealed that a majority of Americans (61%) agree that shutdowns are bad for Congress’s ability to help the country succeed and 76% support legislation requiring Congress to remain in session until the budget is finished.
Americans for Prosperity urges Congress to pass the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act and end the cycle of shutdowns that disrupt essential services and erode public confidence in government.
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
###
