Congress: Do your job. End government shutdowns

Hardworking Latino families know what it means to show up and get the job done.

Parents go to work every day. Small-business owners open their shop early in the morning and close late at night. We work hard, meet tight deadlines, and take care of our responsibilities.

When there’s a job to be done, we go out and do it.

Yet in Washington, D.C., it often looks like Congress lives by a different set of rules.

Year after year, Washington struggles to complete one of its most basic responsibilities on time: funding the federal government.

When lawmakers procrastinate and use funding deadlines as leverage, parts of the government can shut down. This creates uncertainty for families, federal workers, and Americans who rely on federal services.

This isn’t how Congress should work.

Americans deserve better.

We elect members of Congress to solve the problems we’re facing, not create new ones as they fail to do their most basic duties.

Thankfully, we have a way to get Congress back to work.

Why government shutdowns keep happening

First, we need to understand why Washington is trapped in this endless cycle of political bickering and government shutdowns.

Every year, Congress must approve 12 different bills that fund federal agencies and departments before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1.

If lawmakers need more time, they can pass a short-term funding bill while they continue negotiating.

If they fail to do either, parts of the government are forced to shut down until Congress reaches an agreement.

Government shutdowns used to be rare, but in recent years, they have almost become the norm.

Each shutdown is another reminder of what happens when Washington fails to complete its basic funding work on time.

Why government shutdowns are bad

Washington’s bad habit of shutting down the government might seem like an arcane and convoluted procedural hurdle, but it creates real problems for America.

Here’s why:

Shutdowns create uncertainty for families: Every time the government shuts down, federal workers may miss paychecks, while Americans who rely on government services are left in limbo.

They distract Congress from solving real problems: Instead of debating spending priorities and tackling other challenges, lawmakers spend their time scrambling to reopen the government. Shutdowns create political drama, not better policy.

They don’t solve our spending problem: Shutdowns do nothing to bring government spending under control. Too often, shutdowns are resolved through giant spending bills negotiated at the last minute, leaving little time to review them before a vote.

A better way: The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act

Washington doesn’t have to live in this vicious cycle.

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would end this unnecessary ritual of perpetual crisis while keeping the pressure on Congress to finish its work.

If lawmakers miss the deadline, the government would stay open at the previous year’s budget levels until Congress finishes its work.

Lawmakers would still have to make the big decisions we elected them to make. They just couldn’t use a government shutdown as leverage.

That’s good for families. It’s good for taxpayers. And it’s a better way to hold Congress accountable.

It’s time for Congress to stop governing by crisis and start doing the job the American people elected it to do.

Latino families deserve a government that works to solve problems instead of creating new ones.

We need leaders who are willing to make the tough decisions, work through disagreements, and put the American people ahead of political games.

If you believe Washington should work as hard as the people it serves, join The LIBRE Initiative.