Before we begin, I want to take a moment to recognize the tragedy that unfolded last week, the loss of life, and the loss of civil discourse. We continue to pray for Charlie, his wife, and his young family.
As we approach another fiscal deadline—and as Harrisburg approaches three months past the deadline of our budget due date—the noise from both capitols has become familiar. Talk of an impending government shutdown fills the airwaves, and citizens across our commonwealth are left to wonder whether their leaders will govern responsibly—or whether once again, political brinkmanship will take precedence over the people’s business.
Shutdowns are not just political theater; they are costly failures of governance. AFP Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner puts it eloquently: “Shutdown politics are the worst kind of politics because American taxpayers always lose. It’s time for Washington to do the right thing and take this important step toward breaking free from crisis-to-crisis policymaking.”
That’s why AFP Pennsylvania is bringing forth common-sense solutions to better budgeting. In Washington, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act offers a commonsense reform. Instead of allowing government funding to lapse and grinding everything to a halt, this act would automatically continue funding at current levels until lawmakers reach a budget agreement. That means no more shutdown crises holding families hostage to politics. But it doesn’t just “kick the can down the road”—it creates accountability. Lawmakers would have to stay in Washington, with floor debates and committee work continuing until the job gets done. The incentive flips: instead of shutdowns being a bargaining chip, they become a mark of failure that no one can escape.
Here in Harrisburg, the Responsible Budgeting Act offers a similar step forward. Pennsylvania’s budgeting process has been plagued for years by delayed budgets and partisan stalemates. The Responsible Budgeting Act, introduced by Rep. Tom Jones, would require lawmakers to prioritize sustainable spending by tying growth of state government to the growth of our economy. That means government can grow, but only at a pace families and businesses can afford. It would also encourage lawmakers to set aside reserves in good times so we’re better prepared in downturns—exactly the kind of discipline every household and business must practice.
These two proposals—one in Washington, one in Harrisburg—share a common philosophy: government should be predictable, sustainable, and accountable to the people it serves. No more governing by crisis. No more stop-and-go politics that undermine confidence in our institutions. Instead, a budgeting process that rewards foresight, stability, and responsibility.
We should be clear: shutdowns don’t “save” money. They waste it. As Kurt Couchman, Senior Policy Fellow on Fiscal Reform, says, “The looming threat of a government shutdown and the blame-game that follows pushes members to vote for bills they would never support under normal circumstances. This is a manufactured political crisis that almost always results in bad policy.”
Pennsylvanians understand this intuitively. Every family must live within a budget. Every small business must plan for ups and downs. They don’t get to shut down their operations when times are tough. They make trade-offs, they prioritize, they plan. It’s time government lived by the same rules.
As we head toward yet another potential shutdown, and as our state government fails to come to agreement on our annual budget, both Harrisburg and Washington have an opportunity to prove they can learn from past failures. Passing the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act at the federal level and the Responsible Budgeting Act at the state level would be a declaration that government will finally start working the way it should: on time, on budget, and with respect for the people footing the bill.
Because at the end of the day, government shutdowns and delayed annual budgets don’t punish politicians—they punish the people. And Pennsylvanians deserve better than to be used as pawns in a never-ending budget chess match. It’s time to end the shutdown game once and for all and put responsible budgeting back at the heart of governing.
Sign your name to a petition urging your elected leadership to get to work on meaningful budgeting reform. Head to AmericansforProsperity.org to learn more.
This is Emily Greene, State Director with Americans for Prosperity-PA.