ARLINGTON, VA— In case you missed it Kurt Couchman, Senior Fellow of Americans for Prosperity, recently published an op-ed with DC Journal arguing that while the Senate’s move to forgo pay during a government shutdown may increase accountability, it is unlikely to meaningfully change congressional incentives. The piece makes the case for the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would keep Congress working in Washington during funding lapses while continuing government services at prior levels, eliminating shutdown leverage. It argues this approach would reduce brinksmanship and omnibus dealmaking, improve the regular budget process, and better align Congress with consistent, transparent lawmaking.
To End Shutdowns Responsibly, Put Congress’s Time on the Line
The Senate recently agreed not to get paid during a federal government shutdown. Missing paychecks would be a big deal for most of us.
The median senator is worth $4.4 million, and many are far richer. Holding back their paychecks might help, but there are more effective ways to motivate Congress to get its work done.
For example, members are perfectly equal in their time. That’s the logic behind the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act.
If a budget year starts on October 1 without all spending bills in law, members of Congress and the White House budget office are stuck in D.C. Congress has daily votes on appropriations and little ability to do anything else. Getting home in the month before an election is a powerful motivator.
The legislation’s other big idea: no disruptions to government services, from national parks to airport security. Spending continues at prior levels until new bills are done.
More important, it eliminates the mirage of shutdown leverage. Shutdown brinksmanship has repeatedly failed to achieve its stated goals, but it routinely creates disruption and dysfunction. Keeping government services running while requiring Congress to stay in Washington until the work is done is popular: 76 percent favor it, and only 6 percent oppose.
Shutdowns don’t just disrupt government services. They distort how Congress makes spending decisions. Shutdown risk pushes leaders to cook up giant omnibus bills and ram them through before members have a chance to read them. Forget about trying to make it better.
Being rubber-stamped instead of represented is frustrating. Usually, however, members swallow hard and vote yes just to avoid a shutdown. Ironically, belief in shutdown leverage may make backdoor omnibus bills more likely.
When shutdowns are off the table, new legislation must improve on the status quo. That means giving members a real chance to shape legislation rather than simply voting on it. These stronger relationships also support a more cohesive legislature that can be a check and balance when needed. A Congress that is more engaged in budgeting is also better positioned to challenge the executive branch — or to proactively partner with it — rather than reacting to it.
Preventing shutdowns can also help Congress reduce budget bloat. Special-interest complaints matter more when members have little buy-in. Letting waste fester reduces complaints, but it also adds to the federal government’s dangerous debt burden. Broad, earned support for legislation makes it harder for outside complaints to preserve wasteful spending.
Shutdown politics keep Congress focused on only a fraction of federal spending while the rest runs on autopilot. That robs Americans of representation and better results. Helping appropriations succeed can prompt Congress to look more closely at autopilot activities, especially by putting everything into each year’s regular order.
In addition, finishing appropriations earlier creates an opportunity for Congress to revisit and rescind unnecessary spending before agencies rush to spend remaining funds at year-end. Once those dollars are spent, Congress is less likely to reconsider whether they should have been spent at all.
Preventing shutdowns can help Congress better serve the people. Locking Congress in D.C. until they finish budgeting while protecting Americans from disruption replaces the mirage of shutdown leverage and backroom deals with a bottom-up process where all members can contribute to our shared destiny. It’s time.
Read the entire article 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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