Prevent Government Shutdowns Act
Congress Proposes Automatic Funding Bill to End Government Shutdowns and Limit Lawmaker Travel
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would prevent the federal government from shutting down if Congress fails to pass a budget on time. Instead of closing offices and pausing services, the government would automatically keep running at its current spending levels.
- To encourage lawmakers to reach a final deal, the bill bans Members of Congress, their staff, and budget officials from using taxpayer or campaign money for official travel during these periods. They would only be allowed to pay for a single trip back to Washington, D.C.
- While the automatic funding is in place, the House and Senate would be restricted from working on other issues. They would generally be required to focus only on budget bills and would be prohibited from taking breaks or vacations longer than 23 hours.
- The automatic funding would renew every 14 days until a permanent budget is signed into law. This ensures that federal employees continue to get paid and public services like national parks and food safety inspections remain open without interruption.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Government shutdowns have historically halted SBA loan processing, delayed federal contract payments, and disrupted permitting and regulatory processes that small businesses depend on. Automatic funding would keep these services running, preventing the financial strain shutdowns place on businesses that contract with or rely on federal agencies.
Programs
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
Sens. Britt, Tuberville sign onto legislation to prevent government shutdowns
The legislation would trigger an automatic, rolling two-week continuing resolution to maintain funding at previous levels. While active, members of Congress would be required to stay in D.C. with no access to taxpayer-funded travel, extended recesses, or official trips abroad.
Preventing government shutdowns: Lankford's fix for a costly issue
Senator James Lankford's Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would automatically extend government funding in two-week increments if budget deadlines are missed. To keep pressure on lawmakers, the proposal bans official travel, long recesses, and campaign-related spending during these periods.
Understanding the partial government shutdown happening right now
As a partial shutdown affects agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Rep. Bill Huizenga highlighted his co-sponsorship of H.R. 5870. The bill is designed to prevent funding lapses and require Congress to remain in session until all government funding matters are resolved.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Prevent Government Shutdowns Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(18)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.