Kaine Introduces Bill To Prevent Future Shutdowns

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine introduced the End Shutdowns Act, a bill to end the threat of future government shutdowns and the senseless pain they inflict on federal employees, government contractors, and millions of Americans who rely on government services. Kaine has been outspoken against President Trump’s use of a government shutdown as a negotiating tactic, and—in an effort to take away that option in the future —this bill would initiate an automatic continuing resolution on October 1 if no appropriations bill is passed by that date. The legislation would then stop the Senate from moving forward with any other legislation, outside of an emergency scenario, until Congress reached an agreement on a long-term spending deal. Kaine is encouraging negotiators to include legislation to prevent future shutdowns in any bipartisan deal reached by the February 15th deadline.

“For 35 days, federal employees, government contractors, and millions of Americans who rely on government services were used as pawns by a President who did not care about the pain he was causing,” said Kaine. “This legislation will take the power away from a President or any chamber of Congress to use government shutdowns as a negotiating tactic ever again. We owe it to hardworking civil servants to eliminate their fears of another shutdown that leaves them with $0 paychecks and mounting bills.”

The End Shutdowns Act is one of many proposals Congress will consider to address how to prevent government shutdowns in the future.

During the shutdown, Kaine objected to the Senate going out of session, which resulted in him securing passage of legislation to guarantee back pay for federal employees and is working to ensure contractors will receive back pay after the shutdown. Virginia is home to 170,000 federal employees and tens of thousands of federal contractors.

Read full text of the End Shutdowns Act text here.

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