WASHINGTON – On Monday, Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Maggie Hassan and seven of their colleagues to reintroduce the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2023, which would take government shutdowns off the table and force Congress to stay in town until their work to fund the government is complete.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The most basic duty of Congress is to responsibly appropriate taxpayer dollars, but Washington has continued to max out the debt ceiling, cut corners, pile debt on American families and think only of its own short-term interests. America’s credit card is maxed out and it's time for accountability. It is unacceptable that Congress’ dysfunction is harming hardworking Americans and their livelihoods. Shutting down the government cannot continue to be another leverage tool for Washington politicians. We must put an end to this madness so we can pay down the country’s debt and balance the budget. We must pass the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act if there is any hope of getting this country’s fiscal house back in order.”

BACKGROUND

First introduced in February 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act requires all Members of Congress to stay in Washington, DC and work until the spending bills are complete. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and limit harm to federal workers while Congress completes appropriations.

Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR), on rolling 14-day periods, based on the current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations until a new spending package is approved.

Senator Scott was joined by Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Maggie Hassan, Kyrsten Sinema, John Barrasso, Bill Cassidy, M.D., Steve Daines, Angus King, Mike Braun and Mark Kelly. The full text of the bill can be found here.

Additionally, Senator Scott continues to hold Washington accountable by reintroducing his Full Faith and Credit Act to ensure the federal government prioritizes funding for our military, veterans and seniors should the Biden Administration refuse to exercise its existing authority to prioritize these expenses and prevent default. Senator Scott has been demanding that Congress take action to address America’s $31 trillion federal debt and get the reckless spending that fuels it under control. Senator Scott continues to urge his colleagues to refuse to increase the debt ceiling without also enacting true spending reform.

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