As Shutdown Continues Senate Colleagues Introduce Bill to Permanently End Government ShutdownsBy MARY KAUFFMAN
January 14, 2019
The bill’s lead sponsor is Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), has introduced similar legislation in every Congress since he joined the Senate in 2010. If passed, it would create an automatic continuing resolution for any regular appropriations bill not completed by the Oct. 1st deadline. After the first 120 days, the continuing resolution funding would be automatically reduced by 1 percent; and another 1 percent cut would kick in every 90 days thereafter.
The End Government Shutdowns Act would permanently prevent the federal government from shutting down, ensuring that essential government services aren’t disrupted and protecting taxpayers who must bear the resulting cost. The measure will create an automatic continuing resolution (CR) for any regular appropriations bill or existing CR, keeping the federal government open when budget negotiations falter before key spending deadlines. The new Democratic-held House passed legislation on January 03, 2019 that would have ended a partial government shutdown. One bill passed by the House would have funded eight closed U.S. departments through Sept. 30, 2019. The other would reopen the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8, 2019. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the 3rd that facing Trump's veto threat, the Senate would not "waste its time" to pass the House proposal. “It’s disappointing that both sides didn’t resolve this matter weeks ago. Shutdowns inevitably costs taxpayers more money once the government reopens. I hope that both parties come together and reach an agreement that brings a resolution to this issue as quickly as possible,” said the the bill’s lead sponsor Senator Rob Portman. “Moving forward, we should end government shutdowns for good. This bipartisan legislation will accomplish that goal, providing lawmakers with more time to reach a responsible resolution to budget negotiations, giving federal workers and their families more stability, and ensuring we avoid disruptions that ultimately hurt our economy, taxpayers and working families.” Senator Lisa Murkowski said in a prepared statement, “The ripple effect of a government shutdown has consequences for all Alaskans-- most directly on the thousands of federal employees and tens of thousands more that rely on our federal agencies.” Murkowski said, “This legislation permanently ends government shutdowns with a commonsense solution to avoid a funding lapse, ensuring the jobs and livelihoods of federal workers and contractors are not held hostage during political disputes. For the sake of our federal employees, their families, and our nation, I’m proud to support the End Government Shutdowns Act.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY) said in a news release the partial government shutdown is prolonged by Democrats' refusal to negotiate and presented a visual aid on the senate floor last week to sum up his Democratic colleagues' past and present positions on border security. "Just five years prior, of course, then-Senator Obama joined with then-Senator Hillary Clinton, the current Democratic Leader, and several other Democrats when they all voted to authorize about 700 miles of physical barriers [steel bollard border fence] under the Secure Fence Act of 2006. Now, here on the right, we have an example of a barrier like those the new Speaker of the House has recently described as ‘immoral.’ Now I would defy my colleagues to tell me what the difference is. They’re exactly identical." “So, we went from the Obama Administration – where everyone was supporting a wall that looked just like this [steel bollard border fence] – to the Trump Administration where now, it’s ‘immoral.’ The kind of barrier all of a sudden, that Senate Democrats are so opposed to, that they’d rather prolong a partial government shutdown. They’d rather do that than agree to an additional investment of approximately one-tenth of one percent of federal spending. Identical walls, exactly alike. When President Obama was there they were for it and when President Trump’s there they’re not." Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said during a press briefing last Thursday, "He [President Trump] talks about drugs coming into the country. Ninety percent of the drugs come in through the ports of entry. So, what we are proposing is to build the infrastructure of the ports of entry, strengthen that, the ports of entry. Spend the money, it's hundreds of millions of dollars, but accessible, to have the scanning technology, to scan cars coming through for drugs, contraband of any kind, weapons even. Repair the roads to facilitate immigration and trade in those regions. The positive, shall we say, almost technological wall that can be built is what we should be doing." Last week U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) spoke on camera to Alaskans about the partial government shutdown, and the broader issue of border security and how it relates to the shutdown. Sullivan stated in his address that he wanted to make it perfectly clear that he supports the president in his efforts and in his Administration's efforts to secure the border. "This is something that every nation does to protect its sovereignty and in my view is not something that should be viewed as very controversial - securing the border of your nation. Over the past 25 years every president of the United States, Democrats and Republicans, has attempted to secure our Southern border. They’ve all said they would. Even this Congress over many years has said we should," said Sullivan. He said, "Two issues that I’m particularly concerned about and have focused on as your Senator and I know that most Alaskans are most concerned about are actually related to the porous border down south. And that is human trafficking - evil people who are leading children from different parts of America and different parts of South America and Mexico into lives of hell—and also the drug and opioid crisis that’s decimating communities across our country and that is threatening many Alaska communities and families as well." Sullivan said he disagrees with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who over the last month has called the so-called wall “immoral.” Sullivan said, "I couldn’t disagree more. In my opinion what’s immoral is not addressing the humanitarian crisis that ruins lives on both sides of the border - some of the issues I’ve been talking about in terms of human trafficking and the horrible opioid and heroin epidemic that’s hitting our country and our state. "Most people who come to this country we all believe are good people coming in good faith. But not all of them are," said Sullivan. Sullivan said, I wish I could tell you when this is going to end - the partial government shutdown. The good news is we actually last year funded the vast majority of the government through the appropriations process. But while this continues, I will continue to work with federal agencies to try to minimize the impact of the shutdown on Alaskans." (Read the full transcription of his remarks or listen to the video of his remarks.) The other original co-sponsors of the “End Government Shutdowns Act” are Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa; Steve Daines (R-Mont); Johnny Isakson (R-GA).; Mike Enzi (R-WY).; Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY); AND Mike Lee (R-Utah). What they have to say on The End Government Shutdowns Act: Ses. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said, “It costs money to shut down the government and it costs more money to reopen it. When the government shuts down, Americans are deprived of essential services and their tax dollars are needlessly wasted. Shutdowns also erode the trust between citizens and their government. This legislation would help ensure that policy stalemates and political interests would no longer get in the way of government’s duty to serve the American people. It would also create additional certainty and confidence in the government’s ability to function on behalf of the citizens it serves.” “Shutdowns don’t work. Yet we’re seeing them happen time and time again,” said Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont). “The End Government Shutdowns Act will hold Congress accountable to funding the government and ensure that hardworking folks aren’t paying the price for the partisan, political games being played in DC.” Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga) said, “It is wrong to continue the constant threat of a government shutdown, and Americans should expect their government to function and budget responsibly,” Isakson said, “Too often, last-minute omnibus bills do little to address out-of-control spending, while shutdowns cut off essential federal government services and force Americans to bear the burden of Congress' dysfunction. This is the one proposal in Washington that will work to end these irresponsible shutdowns that harm Georgians and Americans." “Shutting down the government disrupts lives both inside and outside the government,” said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY). “We could avoid future shutdowns altogether if Congress would pass the End Government Shutdowns Act.” “Shutting down the government, even partially, never benefits anyone,”said Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). “Americans shouldn’t have to suffer uncertainty or go without a paycheck because Congress failed to fund the government. This legislation will help put an end to unnecessary shutdowns in the future.” “Shutting down the government is the complete opposite of what we were elected to do - govern. I have cosponsored this legislation year after year and hope we can finally move it forward. Real people with real problems get caught in the balance of government shutdowns and we need to act for them and for the sake of government efficiency. I would prefer to see a smaller and less intrusive government than what we have, but regardless it needs to operate," said Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID). Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) said, “Shutdowns are not a responsible way to govern. They create instability and unpredictability not only in our government, but also for the many families and businesses that interact with the federal government.” Lee said, “Sen. Portman’s End Government Shutdowns Act strikes a necessary balance between incentivizing good budgeting habits while discouraging last-minute, haphazard stopgap funding measures. And it provides stability and predictability without allowing Congress to pat ourselves on the back for averting a self-made crisis.”
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