WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Ashley Moody is fighting to eliminate government shutdowns once and for all by cosponsoring the Eliminate Shutdowns Act. Congress routinely faces a government shutdown in the event the funding process is not completed by fiscal year end. Government shutdowns do not serve the American people, cost billions of dollars, and harm the U.S. economy. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) originally introduced the bill.
Senator Ashley Moody said, “The Democrats have been holding the American people hostage for more than 20 days now—and each day the Schumer Shutdown continues is another day that our troops, law enforcement officers, federal and essential workers go without pay. As one of the country’s newest Senators, I’m working hard to bring sanity to D.C., and that’s why I’m cosponsoring the Eliminate Shutdowns Act so our government can remain open and working for the American people.”
The Eliminate Shutdowns Act:
- Triggers an automatic 14-day continuing resolution in the event of a lapse in appropriations.
- If Congress fails to pass appropriations or a Continuing Resolution “CR” by the end of the first 14-day auto-CR, then appropriations and funding continues for another 14 days, and so on and so on.
- The auto-CR ends if Congress passes an appropriations bill or CR.
- The bill ensures entitlements and other mandatory programs provided budget authority in the preceding appropriations Act continue to be funded at the rate necessary to maintain program levels under current law or the preceding appropriations Act.
- The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) would continue to have apportionment authority during an auto-CR period.
- During an auto-CR period, an agency head is authorized, with OMB approval, to transfer no more than five percent from one appropriation account to another appropriation account.
- The agency head must notify the congressional appropriations committee of any transfer of funds.
- The transfer can only be from a lower priority account to a higher priority account.
Additionally, at the beginning of the month, Senator Moody announced she will be donating her taxpayer-funded salary each day the federal government is shut down following the Democrats’ and Senator Chuck Schumer’s refusal to fund the government.
MORE… Sen. Moody Pledges to Donate Paycheck for Each Day the Democrats Keep the Government Shutdown
Read bill text here.
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