Congress: It’s time to end the shutdown circus

Another year, another government shutdown crisis.

Every fall, politicians in Washington, D.C., scramble to make sure the federal government doesn’t shut down on October 1. Sometimes they fail, sometimes Congress gets a deal done at the last minute. This time, they failed.

What always happens is that lawmakers end up voting for a colossal spending deal they probably don’t agree with just to end the crisis.

This chaos and dysfunction bring uncertainty, delays in public services, and even a missing paycheck for millions across the country.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would finally get America out of this endless cycle of crisis and get Congress to work on the issues Americans and Latinos face.

Why do government shutdowns happen?

But first, a quick rundown of why shutdowns happen.

• Every year, Congress must pass 12 funding bills (called appropriations) before the fiscal year starts on October 1.
• If lawmakers don’t meet this deadline, most federal agencies are forced to shut down until a new budget is approved.

That means many of the key government services that many Americans, including millions of Latinos, count on are interrupted while the politicians in Washington find a way out of the crisis.

While shutdowns have become a common aspect of our budget process lately, they aren’t a feature of our constitutional system; they’re a glitch. One that started in 1980 due to a strict legal interpretation from Jimmy Carter’s attorney general.

Why are shutdowns bad for us?

Shutdowns are chaotic and do no one any good.

• They bring mayhem by putting millions of federal workers (including at least 1.2 million Latinos) at risk of losing a paycheck.
• They disrupt services provided by the federal government while the shutdown lasts.

To make matters worse, they don’t even make a dent in our colossal national debt.

Take a look at the numbers:

• Congress hasn’t passed a balanced budget in 24 straight years.
• The national debt now exceeds $37 trillion.
• In 1980, before shutdowns were a thing, the national debt was 30% of gross domestic product. Today, it’s nearly 120%.

That’s because when a shutdown looms, Congress switches into “crisis mode.” Party leaders quickly negotiate massive spending packages behind closed doors, and most lawmakers barely get a chance to review them.

Ultimately, most members vote for a package they don’t like just to avoid a shutdown they would hate.

It’s time to put aside this unnecessary, harmful, and frustrating glitch in our constitutional system.

And there’s a solution.

A smart solution: The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, introduced by Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas, would stop this crisis cycle by:

• Keeping the lights on: If Congress fails to pass a new budget, the government keeps running on last year’s funding.
• No budget? No break: All members of Congress must stay in session and cannot consider other bills or take a vacation until they get the job done.

This approach isn’t new or extreme.

At least 18 states already use similar laws, and they’re more likely to pass their budgets on time than Congress. In fact, the federal government worked this way for over two centuries before 1980.

Let’s break the stalemate together.

Shutdowns hit Latino workers, families, and communities hard. We believe in faith, family, and hard work — values that demand better than endless dysfunction in Washington.

Now is the time to act. The Hispanic community’s voice is powerful. Together, we can demand accountability and push Congress to end the shutdown circus once and for all.

Join The LIBRE Initiative and be part of the nation’s largest Latino movement for freedom and prosperity. Let’s protect our families, our paychecks, and our future.