Ciscomani: Current Guardrails Fail to Prevent Government Shutdowns
The Forbes Breaking News clip covers a House Appropriations Committee hearing on preventing government funding lapses. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) discusses living through multiple near-shutdowns and actual shutdowns since 2023, including impacts like $1.3 billion monthly gross state product loss in his district, disruptions to SNAP, WIC, and TSA. He argues the "pain" should fall on members of Congress rather than federal workers or the public, notes he withheld his pay, and states that existing guardrails and cultural norms no longer prevent shutdowns because leaders no longer constrain themselves. Former OMB Director Shalanda Young responds that the issue is people and leadership more than guardrails, advocating for earlier engagement in the appropriations process and keeping members in Washington longer. Ciscomani also questions how legislation would address decision-making by a small group of leaders affecting all 435 members.
Source: Forbes Breaking News
