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Government shutdowns are more than political standoffs — they carry real consequences: federal employees furloughed or working without pay, contractors going unpaid, services delayed or shuttered, uncertainty for businesses and families. They also undermine public confidence in government. Because the damage tends to be widely shared, there is often a strong incentive for both parties to find some common ground.
In the spirit of bipartisan cooperation, here are several approaches that have either been successfully used or proposed to reduce the harm of shutdowns, or ideally prevent them in the first place.
1. Temporary Continuing Resolutions (CRs)
A common short‐term fix is passing a Continuing Resolution that maintains government funding at current levels for a short period, giving Congress more time to pass full appropriations. In 2023, The Problem Solvers Caucus offered plans including a CR to avoid immediate shutdown, then full‐year appropriations later. These give breathing space and reduce the “must win right now” pressure.
2. Automatic Funding or “Lockstep” Mechanisms
Legislation has been proposed that would automatically continue funding if Congress fails to reach an agreement by the deadline. That means rather than shutting down, the government keeps running at existing funding levels until a deal is struck. In 2019, Senators James Lankford and Maggie Hassan sponsored a bill to set up such automatic continuing funding, keeping critical services operating and protecting federal workers. Such arrangements shift the cost of impasse back onto lawmakers rather than citizens or workers.
3. Accountability Measures for Lawmakers
Proposals like the McCarthy Shutdown Act seek to ensure members of Congress don’t get paid during a shutdown, to align their incentives with the urgency of resolution. As well as resolutions like those introduced by Senators Bennet and Ernst aim to force senators to stay in town and work until government funding is restored.
4. Protecting Vulnerable Populations and Essential Services
Even during shutdowns, there are targeted measures to protect critical services:
- Laws or acts that require federal employees get back pay
- Essential programs (like certain health, safety, or disaster response operations) continue
For federal employees, the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act is one precedent ensuring retroactive pay and leave accrual for those furloughed in a shutdown. There are also isolated bills to ensure that military personnel or other critical government roles remain paid.
5. Process Reforms
Many proposals aim to not just cope with shutdowns when they occur, but to change the budget/appropriations process to reduce their recurrence. Examples include:
- Creating a bipartisan fiscal commission to address long‐term debt and deficit challenges
- Increasing transparency
- Restoring regular order in how appropriations bills are drafted and considered
- The Problem Solvers Caucus framework includes both short-term fixes (CRs) and long-term process reforms
Why Bipartisanship Can Work (and What Holds It Back)
Benefits
- Reduces harm to citizens, workers, and businesses
- Preserves public trust and avoids economic disruptions
- Costs (both human and financial) that shutdowns impose often motivate people from both parties to avoid them
- Shared solutions (like automatic funding) align incentives and make the system more predictable.
Challenges
- Deep ideological divides on spending levels, on specific policy priorities (e.g., healthcare subsidies, border security, taxes)
- Some political incentives reward brinkmanship (showing toughness, appealing to base) more than compromise
- Timing: appropriations are complex; deadlines tight; complications multiply if many bills are unresolved
- Transparency and trust: parties must believe that the other will follow through, which sometimes is undermined by unclear terms or opaque promises
Why Now Is a Good Time for Renewal
- Vast majority of US voters want lawmakers to avoid government shutdowns
- Fiscal pressures (debt, rising costs) mean long-term stability is more urgent than ever
- Some current legislative proposals already show bipartisan coalitions working together. That momentum can be built on.
- The cost in interest, lost economic activity, harm to vulnerable groups — are all magnified if shutdowns become longer or more frequent
What You Can Do
- Contact your Congressional representatives and express support for bipartisan solutions rather than shutdown brinksmanship
- Follow and support proposals that have cross-party backing (e.g., automatic funding, accountability measures)
- Vote for representatives who prioritize process, cooperation, and responsibility
- Support media coverage that highlights constructive proposals rather than just conflict
Closing Thought
Shutdowns are deeply disruptive, but they don’t have to be inevitable. There are proven, practical bipartisan mechanisms for both limiting the damage and reducing the frequency of shutdowns. It’s possible to find common ground: maintain essential services, protect workers, hold elected officials accountable, and reform processes so negotiations happen earlier and more transparently.
Ultimately, a government that functions depends not on eliminating disagreement, but on managing it in ways that keep the machinery of governance moving, especially when the stakes are highest.
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