Ciscomani: Current Guardrails Fail to Prevent Government Shutdowns
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Summary
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.
Editorial Assessment
The segment accurately reflects frustrations with repeated funding crises, including the record 43-day 2025 shutdown and subsequent 2026 lapses that affected hundreds of thousands of workers and shaved billions from GDP per CBO estimates. Claims about economic impacts and congressional pay (members are constitutionally protected but some voluntarily withhold or back related bills) hold up. Viewers miss broader context: shutdowns stem from substantive policy disputes (e.g., spending levels, border security) beyond just "culture," and both parties have used brinkmanship. The hearing promotes "No Budget, No Pay"-style reforms and regular order, but these face enforcement challenges and have not passed despite multiple introductions. Framing centers congressional self-accountability, potentially underplaying divided government dynamics that make timely appropriations difficult. Overall, a substantive discussion of process failures but selective in emphasizing consequences over root policy disagreements.
Key Moments
Ciscomani has lived through multiple shutdown threats and a partial shutdown since entering Congress in 2023, including under Speaker McCarthy
Multiple near-misses and the record 43-day FY2026 shutdown in late 2025 plus 2026 DHS lapse align with his timeline; CRS and CBO document these events.
Shutdowns cost his district $1.3 billion per month in lost gross state product and disrupt SNAP, WIC, TSA
CBO estimated 2025 shutdown reduced GDP growth significantly (roughly consistent scale with $11B cumulative loss); essential services like SNAP/WIC/TSA are routinely disrupted or delayed.
The pain of a shutdown should be felt primarily by Congress, not the people at home; Ciscomani withheld his own pay
Common reform proposal in "No Budget, No Pay" bills (e.g., H.R. 208, 119th Congress); members are paid during shutdowns per Constitution but many voluntarily forgo or escrow pay.
Current guardrails that prevented shutdowns in the past still exist today but are not working due to changed culture and leadership
Recent record-length shutdowns (43 days in 2025, 76 days for DHS in 2026) support the observation; however, guardrails like the Antideficiency Act remain, with failures tied to specific policy impasses rather than purely cultural shift.
Final negotiations by 5-10 people affect the other 400+; reforms would make responsibility clearer and keep decisions in the building
Leadership negotiations are inherently small-group; testimony asserts accountability gains but provides no empirical evidence that pay withholding or process tweaks would change outcomes.
Notable Concerns
- Limited discussion of specific policy riders or partisan demands that triggered recent shutdowns
- Hearing focuses on one side of proposed solutions without deep exploration of counter-proposals like biennial budgeting
Sources Consulted
- Government Shutdowns: Causes and Effects - Brookings
- Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources - Congress.gov
- Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know - CRFB
- What Happens if the Government Shuts Down? - Bipartisan Policy Center
- Appropriators Drive Conversation on Preventing Government Shutdowns
- H.R.208 - No Budget, No Pay Act (119th Congress)
- The 2025 (FY2026) Government Shutdown: Economic Effects - CRS
- CBO Estimate on Shutdown Effects