As the government shutdown deadline races ever closer, a bold and bipartisan idea is igniting fervor on both sides of the Capitol: a revolutionary move to eliminate shutdowns altogether.
In a thrilling turn of events, Senators and House members have unleashed a rallying cry with a groundbreaking proposal. They’re championing legislation that could usher in a new era by automatically funding the government beyond harrowing deadlines, such as the looming September 30th cutoff. While the odds may seem slim, the passage of this legislation would signify an electrifying and permanent end to the specter of shutdown threats. An urgent call has gone out to the top party leaders in both the House and the Senate, demanding floor votes on this audacious endeavor, as revealed in a confidential draft.
Amid the high-stakes drama of the September 30th deadline and a House GOP struggling to find common ground, numerous proposals have taken flight within the hallowed halls of the Capitol, all aiming to eradicate shutdowns once and for all. However, one extraordinary bipartisan initiative spearheaded by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) has garnered unparalleled support, signaling the growing exasperation among senators with Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the entrenched gridlock in the House.
“A groundswell of bipartisan senators is demanding a historic vote on the visionary bill authored by Senators Lankford and Hassan,” declares the electrifying letter. “The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act lives up to its bold title. It presents an eminently rational solution to break free from the shackles of recurring congressional deadlock.”
This trailblazing bill is poised to trigger two-week stopgap measures, compelling Congress to focus exclusively on essential spending bills should the September 30th funding deadline slip through their grasp. In an exclusive telephone interview on Friday, Lankford acknowledged the letter’s resonance and affirmed it’s just one facet of a larger, behind-the-scenes crusade to secure a momentous vote.
Back in 2019, an audacious bill aimed at quashing government shutdowns made headway, passing through a Senate committee. Yet, it never emerged triumphant in the full chamber. On Friday, the former committee chair, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), revealed an electrifying revival of efforts to secure a floor vote. He lauded the bipartisan champions of this cause, having ardently pursued a vote on this legislation within a comprehensive spending package this week, although the package’s momentum fizzled as the Senate adjourned for the weekend on Thursday.
For many within Congress, the prospect of a bill guaranteeing indefinite government funding raises the stakes, dramatically altering the customary approach to shutdowns on Capitol Hill. Currently, congressional leaders deploy shutdown deadlines as high-stakes gambits, forcing their members into a take-it-or-leave-it showdown, empowering party leaders to craft must-pass bills.
As the specter of shutdown looms ever closer, individual senators wield growing influence within both the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-controlled Senate. In the quest for an agreement to even stage a final vote on a funding bill before a potential October 1st funding abyss, all 100 senators will need to rally behind a common cause. The Senate’s absence, with their return postponed until Tuesday due to the Yom Kippur holiday, adds an exhilarating twist to the suspenseful narrative.
This crusade against shutdowns transcends party lines, transcending traditional divides. Alongside Hassan, Centrist Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Independent Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Angus King of Maine, all stand resolutely in support of this historic bill. Remarkably, the legislation boasts more Republican co-sponsors than Democratic champions, casting intrigue over the potential bipartisan surge.
For many lawmakers, the paramount mission remains a temporary funding lifeline, averting an imminent shutdown as they convene to negotiate sweeping, long-term funding measures. But for those who’ve yearned for the perfect moment to seize control and banish the specter of future shutdowns, the time to act has arrived.
“Maggie and I have been striving for five long years to bring this to the forefront, each time a government shutdown looms,” Lankford declared with unwavering resolve. “And once the turmoil subsides, and we’ve resolved our differences, people tend to move on to the next chapter. Not this time.”
