SouthernWorldwide.com – For the past decade, Americans have witnessed a recurring and unproductive spectacle in Washington: government shutdowns that pose risks to our economy, compromise our security, and negatively impact families nationwide.
Each time a shutdown occurs, the American public finds itself caught in the crossfire. It’s crucial to understand that government shutdowns are not mere theoretical debates or procedural maneuvers; they carry tangible repercussions across the entire country. The most recent shutdown alone incurred a cost exceeding $11 billion for our nation.
In past shutdowns, we’ve observed extensive queues, sometimes up to six hours long, simply to navigate airport security due to a lack of funding for the TSA. Air traffic controllers, the professionals responsible for ensuring flight safety, worked without receiving their paychecks. Veterans and seniors faced greater difficulties in accessing their deserved benefits as essential services were suspended. The Small Business Administration’s capacity to assist entrepreneurs striving to keep their businesses operational was severely hampered.
Families were confronted with the grim possibility of their SNAP benefits being depleted while attempting to provide for their children. Past government shutdowns have even jeopardized our ability to compensate service members who are instrumental in safeguarding our nation’s freedom. These shutdowns project an image globally, to both allies and adversaries, that the world’s preeminent democracy and largest economy can be held captive by political maneuvering.
SENATE PLOTS PERMANENT END TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS WITH BIPARTISAN PUSH
For certain vocal figures in our political landscape, government shutdowns might appear as a convenient tactic to gain political advantage through media appearances, social media engagement, or campaign rhetoric. However, let us be unequivocally clear: the American people invariably bear a substantial and real cost.
Americans have grown weary of this detrimental and chaotic approach to governance. Given that both major political parties have been responsible for government shutdowns in the past, we firmly believe that both must collaborate to find a resolution and put an end to them.
Working collaboratively, a Republican Senator and a Democratic Senator have put forth a straightforward principle: regardless of the extent of our disagreements on the national budget, the American people should not be penalized for Congress’s failure to fulfill its duties in a timely manner. This shared commitment has guided us in drafting the “Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026,” a legislative proposal designed to eliminate shutdowns and compel Congress to uphold its responsibility of negotiating and passing full-year funding bills.
SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS
The mechanism of this act is as follows: should Congress fail to pass any of the 12 appropriation bills by the established deadline, an automatic Continuing Resolution (CR) will be enacted. This CR will ensure the continued payment of federal workers and the funding of ongoing programs at the current year’s spending levels. Crucially, Members of Congress and their staff would be legally mandated to remain in Washington, D.C., engaged in voting seven days a week until the budget impasse is resolved. Both the House and the Senate would be restricted to debating only the appropriation bills until their completion. This is akin to staying after school to finish overdue assignments.
While this may sound straightforward, it represents a significant departure from the current state of affairs. Congress would experience the pressure and inconvenience of a shutdown, rather than the American people and federal employees. Air traffic controllers, service members, federal law enforcement, healthcare professionals, researchers, scientists, and countless others would be able to continue their vital work serving the public and would no longer be exploited as bargaining chips in political disputes. This is because holding federal employees’ paychecks and critical federal services hostage does not resolve policy disagreements; it merely inflicts harm on families.
We introduced our bill in the Senate during the previous session and garnered substantial bipartisan backing, falling just short of passage. We were merely three votes away from permanently averting government shutdowns. Since then, we have endured the longest government shutdown in American history. A growing contingent in both the Senate and the House has voiced their strong desire to finally put an end to this disruptive cycle. Furthermore, we have secured the robust support of various partisan and nonpartisan organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees.
We all recognize that enacting change within the established norms of Washington is never an easy undertaking, even when the existing system is demonstrably failing. However, it is painfully evident that the current approach is not functioning, and we urgently require a new strategy to resolve our national disagreements.
Americans hold diverse views on numerous issues; indeed, the two of us often differ on many matters. Nevertheless, we are in strong agreement that the time has come to permanently remove government shutdowns from the table.
Democrat Maggie Hassan represents New Hampshire in the United States Senate. She served as governor of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2017.
