[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 29, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S805-S806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Stevens, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. 
        Abraham, and Mr. Ashcroft):
  S. 228. A bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for 
continuing appropriations in the absence of regular appropriations; to 
the Committee on Appropriations.


                 THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PREVENTION ACT

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today Senators Stevens, Hutchison, 
Abraham, Ashcroft, and I are introducing the Government Shutdown 
Prevention Act. This bill creates a statutory continuing resolution 
[CR]--a safety net CR which would trigger only if the appropriations 
acts do not become law or if there is no governing CR in place. This 
legislation ensures that the Government will not shutdown and that 
Government shutdowns cannot be used for political gains.
  This safety net CR would set spending at the lowest of the following 
spending levels:
  First, the previous year's appropriated levels;
  Second, the House-passed appropriations bill;
  Third, the Senate-passed appropriations bill;
  Fourth, the President's budget request; or
  Fifth, any levels established by an independent CR passed by the 
Congress subsequent to the passage of this act.
  By setting the spending level for the safety net CR at the lowest 
possible level, there is new incentive to actually pass the 
appropriations bills on time. In addition, it restores the bias in 
appropriations negotiations toward saving the taxpayers money instead 
of spending it. We cannot afford another replay of last year's 
successful effort by the administration that forced Congress to spend 
billions more just to avoid a third Government shutdown. Passage of 
this legislation will guarantee that we are not faced with a choice 
between a Government shutdown and spending taxpayer dollars 
irresponsibly.
  We all saw the effects of gridlock last year. No one wins when the 
Government shuts down. Shutdowns only confirm the American people's 
suspicions that we are more interested in political gain than doing the 
Nation's business. The American people are tired of gridlock. They want 
the Government to work for them--not against them.
  The budget process in the last Congress was a fiasco. Our Founding 
Fathers would have been ashamed by our inability to execute the power 
of the purse in a responsible fashion. I am sure they would have been 
quite shocked by the 27 days the Government was shut down, 13 
continuing resolutions and almost $6 billion in blackmail money given 
to the administration to ensure that the Government did not shut down a 
third time.
  Although Republicans shouldered the blame for the Government 
shutdown, President Clinton and his Democrat colleagues were equally at 
fault for using it for their political gain. Republicans were outfoxed 
by President Clinton because we were not prepared for him to use the 
budget process for his own political gains. We thought that by doing 
the right thing--passing the first balanced budget in a generation and 
fiscally sound appropriations bills--we would eventually prevail. What 
we did not realize was that President Clinton was more interested in 
playing politics with the budget than actually balancing it. This year, 
we have to be prepared for these games and launch a preemptive strike 
to ensure that basic Government operations will not be put at risk 
during the next budget battle.
  This legislation does not erode the power of the appropriators and 
gives them ample opportunity to do their job. It is only if the 
appropriations process is not completed by the beginning of the fiscal 
year, as was the case in the last Congress that this safety net CR will 
go into effect. In addition, I want to emphasize that entitlements are 
fully protected in the legislation. The bill specifically states that 
entitlements such as Social Security--as obligated by law--will be paid 
regardless of what appropriations bills are passed.
  Mr. President, according to President Clinton the combined cost of 
last year's Government shutdowns was $1.5 billion. However, this figure 
does not begin to account for the millions of dollars that were lost by 
small businesses who depend on the Government being open. In my State 
of Arizona, during the Government shutdown the Grand Canyon was closed 
for the first time in 76 years. I heard from people who work close to 
the Grand Canyon. These were not Government employees. They were 
independent small businessmen and women. They told me that the shutdown 
cost them thousands of dollars because people couldn't go to the park. 
According to a CRS report, local communities near national parks lost 
an estimated $14.2 million per day in tourism revenues as a direct 
result of the Government shutdown--for a total of nearly $400 million 
over the course of the shutdown.
  The cost of the Government shutdown cannot be measured in just 
dollars and cents. During the shutdown millions of Americans could not 
get crucial social services. For example: 10,000 new Medicare 
applications, 212,000 Social Security card requests, 360,000 individual 
office visits, and 800,000 toll-free calls for information and 
assistance were turned away each day. There were even more delays in 
services for some of the most vulnerable in our society including 13 
million recipients of AFDC, 273,000 foster care children, over 100,000 
children receiving adoption assistance services and over 100,000 Head 
Start children. Not to mention the new patients that were not accepted 
into clinical research centers, the 7 million visitors who could not 
attend national parks or the 2 million visitors turned away at museums 
and monuments. And the list could go on and on.
  In addition our Federal employees were left in fear wondering whether

[[Page S806]]

they would be paid, would they have to go to work or would they be able 
to pay their bills on time. In my State of Arizona for example, of the 
40,383 Federal employees over 15,000 of them were furloughed in the 
last Government shutdown. I do not want to put these workers at risk 
ever again.
  A 1991 GAP report confirmed that permanent funding lapse legislation 
as necessary. In their report they stated, ``shutting down the 
Government during temporary funding gaps is an inappropriate way to 
encourage compromise on the budget.''
  Mr. President, neither party can afford another break of faith with 
the American people. Our constituents are tired of constantly being 
disappointed by the actions of Congress and the President. They are 
tired of us not being prepared for what appears to be the inevitable. 
This is why this legislation is so important. We want the American 
people to know that there are some of us in Congress who are thinking 
ahead and who do not want a replay of the last Congress.
  I want to especially note the support of my good friend Senator 
Stevens, the distinguished Senator from Alaska and chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee. His support of this bill is crucial and I 
thank him for it. I wish him well in overseeing the appropriations 
process. While I am sure we will have our differences, I am confident 
that he will do his best to ensure that the Senate enacts the 
appropriations bills in an efficient and expeditious manner.
  Let us show the American people that we learned our lessons from the 
last Congress. Passing this preventive measure will go a long way to 
restore American's faith that politics or stalled negotiations will not 
stop government operations. It will prove to our constituents that we 
will never again allow a Government shutdown, or the threat of a 
Government shutdown, to be used for political gain. I hope the Senate 
will act quickly on this important matter.
                                 ______