would be to legislative provide for automatic Continuing Resolutions when any part of the government has not been funded by the normal appropriation process. This would fund those portions of the government that have not been addressed completely at the level of funding the previous fiscal year.
I see no constitutional bar for Congress having an appropriation that extends beyond the term of a current Congress.
This would prevent future shutdowns being used either by Members/Senators or by the President.
The government would not be held hostage again.
Right now the public would massively support such an approach.
Dare McConnell to refuse to bring it up in the Senate.
Double dare Trump to veto such a bill.
The alternative, a constitutional amendment that says the same thing, would not require the signature of the President, but unfortunately would require 2/3 votes in both the House and the Senate.
Without something passing at least one chamber, it does not lay down the necessary political marker.
And it is the right thing to do.
It is not just the missed paychecks for Federal employees which will be made up this week.
It is the permanent loss of income for federal contractors.
It is people whose health insurance has lapsed. That is on my mind, as yesterday was the 6th anniversary of when my wife was diagnosed with a cancer (although it was a few days until the specific cancer, of the blood, was identified). If there were a lapse of health care coverage that were to last several pay cycles, it is not clear we could have afforded the treatment she got in her first few weeks. And it is not clear that paying health insurance after the fact would result in retroactive coverage. That was certainly not part of Tim Kaine’s bill (signed into law) which guarantees retroactive pay to federal employees in any future shutdown.
The answer is to change the rules so there are no more shutdowns.
Just saying.