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Balderson, Portman Push Bill to Eliminate Federal Shutdowns

Coming off the longest shutdown of the federal government in history, two Ohio legislators are pushing efforts to prevent future government closures.

Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, introduced his first bill into the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, dubbed the End Government Shutdowns Act.

The bill would automatically trigger continued levels of discretionary funding for 120 days if not all appropriates are approved by the end of the fiscal year. If appropriates are not made within those 120 days, a one percent cut will take affect. Another one percent cut would be implemented after 90 days and for every 90 days until appropriations are made.

The bill has a Democratic co-sponsor in Rep. Jeff Van Drew, of New Jersey.

“Shutdowns habitually put the federal government—and everyday Americans—in peril of not receiving their due paychecks or accessing critical resources,” Balderson said in a statement. “As Members of Congress, it’s our job to make sure the government remains fully functional for all Americans. They deserve better.”

The bill is the House companion to a Senate effort from Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and eight other Republican senators.

“There is a growing bipartisan consensus that we need a legislative response to stop these types of government shutdowns in the future," Portman said in a statement. "I’ve talked to a number of Democrats who are very interested in joining this effort because they understand that we cannot keep putting ourselves in this position. As members of both parties work together to forge a bipartisan funding agreement over the next few weeks, I intend to fight for inclusion of this legislation in the final bill. We cannot and should not let this moment pass without ending government shutdowns once and for all.”

 

The 35-day government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion in activity, according to the Congressional Budget Office. While much of that will be recouped, the shutdown will noticeably reduce economic growth in the first quarter.

About 800,000 federal workers were affected by the shutdown, with about half furloughed and the remainder forced to work without pay. The partial shutdown lasted from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25.

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