No worker — federal, state, or private — should ever be forced to clock in without a paycheck. Government shutdowns keep happening because politicians have made them painless for themselves. Take away their pay and watch how fast budgets pass.
No worker — federal, state, or private — should ever be forced to clock in without a paycheck. Government shutdowns keep happening because politicians have made them painless for themselves. Take away their pay and watch how fast budgets pass.
No employee should be forced to work without pay. Not one. Ever. Lifetime politicians see the government budget as a negotiating tool. "Continuing resolutions" are defined as "we can't agree on a budget." Stupid spending continues. They increase the deficit, increase the money supply, and increase inflation. Every year. It can be fixed.
Congress is obligated to approve annual spending. A simple solution exists. If a new budget year starts without a new budget approval, both chambers of congress must remain in session, in person, until an annual budget is approved.
Shutdowns are a failure of leadership, not a budgeting accident. Federal workers, contractors, and the families that depend on them should not be used as leverage in a political fight they did not pick. The fix is straightforward: if Congress misses the deadline, members forfeit pay for every day the government is closed, with no back pay once it reopens. Travel home stops. Fundraisers stop. Floor work continues until a budget is signed.
Real accountability also means publishing a daily public scorecard showing who voted, who showed up, and which provisions are blocking a deal. Voters deserve to see exactly which member is holding the country hostage and why. When the cost of inaction lands on Congress instead of the workforce, deadlines stop being suggestions and budgets start passing on time.
By Don Louis · Published 2025-03-10