Staff Reports
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is sounding the alarm on the all-too-familiar threat of another government shutdown, placing much of the blame on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the radical left Democrats. Johnson rightly calls out the partisan gamesmanship that uses everyday Americans’ lives as pawns in political chess—a disgraceful tactic that has become far too routine in Washington. Despite the House passing a clean Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded through Thanksgiving, Democrats remain obstinate, refusing to come to the table and avoid needless chaos that only hurts families and businesses.
Fed up with the endless cycle of shutdown threats, continuing resolutions, and reckless debt increases—Johnson highlights that since his Senate tenure began in 2011, the U.S. has seen three shutdowns, 55 short-term spending bills, and a debt ceiling that’s tripled to $37 trillion—he has introduced the Eliminate Government Shutdowns Act. This sensible legislation would institute rolling 14-day appropriations to keep the government running smoothly while Congress finally sorts out a long-overdue budget. Shockingly, only six out of 180 appropriations bills were passed on time under his watch, a dismal 3.3% success rate, reflecting the broken budgeting system that plays political brinkmanship at the expense of hardworking Americans.
What’s especially telling is that even some Republicans opposed Johnson’s bill, worried it might disrupt the already dysfunctional appropriations process. The irony is thick—his colleagues resist reform in a system that’s failing the country, unwilling to confront how deeply flawed the status quo has become. This inflexibility only prolongs the uncertainty that threatens economic stability and inflicts unnecessary stress on families trying to make ends meet in a volatile financial climate.
With the pressure mounting as Congress prepares for a recess during Yom Kippur, Johnson’s call for bipartisan cooperation and practicality couldn’t come at a better time. His vision of lawmakers sitting down calmly, leaving political games behind to protect the American people from shutdown disruptions, is a refreshing plea for common sense amidst the chaos. It’s an appeal that any reasonable legislator should embrace if they truly care about their constituents over party loyalty.
Senator Johnson’s push to end government shutdowns is more than a political gambit—it’s a crucial step toward restoring fiscal responsibility and stability for the nation. If Washington ever hopes to shed its reputation for dysfunction, it must heed voices like his and finally get the budget process right. Americans deserve nothing less than a government that works reliably, not one held hostage by partisan brinkmanship. The Eliminate Government Shutdowns Act might just be the pragmatic reform needed to turn shutdown nightmares into distant history.
