End Government Shutdowns Act

End Government Shutdowns Act

This bill provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if any appropriations measure for a fiscal year has not been enacted before the fiscal year begins or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect.

For an initial 120-day period, the bill provides appropriations to continue programs, projects, and activities for which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year. The bill reduces the continuing appropriations by 1% after the first 120-day period and by an additional 1% for each subsequent 90-day period until the applicable appropriations legislation is enacted.

Bill 117 HR 5325, also known as the End Government Shutdowns Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress with the aim of preventing future government shutdowns. The bill proposes that if Congress fails to pass a budget or appropriations bill by the deadline, automatic continuing resolutions would go into effect to keep the government funded at current levels.

The bill also includes provisions to ensure that essential government services continue to operate during a funding lapse, such as paying the salaries of essential federal employees and providing funding for critical programs like Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, the bill prohibits members of Congress from receiving their salaries during a government shutdown.

The End Government Shutdowns Act has received bipartisan support, with lawmakers from both parties recognizing the need to prevent the negative impacts of government shutdowns on federal employees, government services, and the economy as a whole. Supporters of the bill argue that it is a common-sense solution to the problem of political gridlock leading to shutdowns, while critics have raised concerns about the potential for abuse of the automatic continuing resolution mechanism. Overall, the End Government Shutdowns Act aims to provide a practical and effective solution to the issue of government shutdowns, ensuring that essential government services continue to operate even in the absence of a budget agreement.