House Appropriations to Hear Lankford’s Plan to End Government Shutdowns in First Oversight Hearing Since 2008

WASHINGTON, DC - US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) will testify Wednesday before the House Appropriations Committee in support of his bipartisan, bicameral Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would take government shutdowns off the table and force Congress to stay in town until its work is done. The hearing marks the Committee's first full-committee oversight hearing since 2008.

Lankford introduced the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026 with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19) and Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).

WHAT: House Appropriations Committee full committee hearing, "Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform"

WHO: Senator James Lankford, Rep. Tom McClintock, and Shalanda Young

WHEN: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET

WHERE: 2128 Rayburn House Office Building

LIVESTREAM: Hearing page and livestream

Since its initial introduction in 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act has earned support from 31 organizations and policy experts across the ideological spectrum. Supporters include 11 labor and federal workforce organizations, among them the American Federation of Government Employees, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Treasury Employees Union, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Association of Flight Attendants, and the United Steelworkers; conservative and free market organizations including Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, and the National Taxpayers Union; veterans organizations including Concerned Veterans for America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; and good government groups including the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the Partnership for Public Service.

Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, supporters including the Association of Flight Attendants, the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, Concerned Veterans for America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the Partnership for Public Service submitted letters of support to the Committee.

Joining Lankford and Hassan in cosponsoring the bipartisan legislation are Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), and Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Kennedy (R-LA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Alan Armstrong (R-OK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Background

Introduced initially in February 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act requires that if appropriations work is not done on time, all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, DC, and work until the spending bills are completed. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress completes appropriations.

Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations.

During the covered period of an automatic CR, the following restrictions are put in place:

• No taxpayer-funded travel allowances for official business (except one flight to return to Washington, DC) for the following:
• White House OMB staff and leadership
• Members of the House and Senate
• Committee and personal staff of the House and Senate
• No official funds may be used for CODEL or STAFFDEL travel
• No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses
• No motions to recess or adjourn in the House/Senate for a period of more than 23 hours

In addition, under the bill, no other votes would be in order in the House and Senate unless they pertain to passage of the appropriations bills or mandatory quorum calls in the Senate. However, after 30 days under the automatic CR, certain expiring authorization bills and executive calendar nominations would be eligible for consideration on the Senate floor, including a nomination for a Justice of the Supreme Court or a Cabinet Secretary, and narrow reauthorization legislation for programs operating under an authorization that has already expired or will expire within the next 30 days. These restrictions can be waived by a two-thirds vote in either chamber, but not for longer than seven days.

You can view the full bill text HERE.

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