Eliminate Shutdowns Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a permanent safety net to keep the government running if Congress fails to pass a new budget by the yearly deadline. Instead of shutting down, federal agencies would automatically receive funding at the same levels they had the year before.
• The automatic funding would be provided in 14-day increments. This two-week cycle would repeat indefinitely until a formal budget or a temporary funding deal is signed into law, ensuring that federal employees stay on the job and public services remain open.
• Essential programs like food stamps and other mandatory payments would be funded at the levels necessary to keep them running fully. This is designed to prevent families, veterans, and seniors from losing their benefits during political disagreements in Washington.
• To help manage the money, agency heads could move up to 5% of their budget between different accounts to cover high-priority needs, provided they get approval and notify Congress. However, they are strictly forbidden from using this money to start new projects that were previously banned.
• If passed, this law would take effect on September 30, 2025. It aims to end the practice of using government shutdowns as a bargaining chip in budget negotiations, providing more stability for the national economy and the federal workforce.