The 'Eliminate Shutdowns Act' Sets Automatic 14-Day Funding to Keep Government Open Starting in 2025

This bill, officially titled the ‘Eliminate Shutdowns Act,’ is designed to end the cycle of federal government shutdowns that have become a frustrating fixture of budget negotiations. Starting on September 30, 2025, if Congress fails to pass a full budget bill by the start of the fiscal year, this Act automatically triggers a temporary funding mechanism. This system ensures that federal agencies and programs that were funded the previous year continue operating, preventing the disruptive furloughs and service interruptions that hit regular people hardest.

No More Shutdown Stress: Your Benefits are Protected

The most immediate, real-world impact of this bill is on essential services and mandatory payments. If you rely on Social Security, Medicare, or SNAP (food assistance), this bill is designed to guarantee your benefits keep flowing without interruption. Section 2 explicitly mandates that the automatic funding must be sufficient to maintain entitlements and activities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 at their current levels. For federal employees, contractors, and military families, this means the risk of delayed paychecks and operational freezes is essentially eliminated, providing crucial financial stability during budget stalemates.

The 14-Day Rolling Safety Net

How does this automatic funding work? It kicks off immediately when a funding lapse occurs, providing money at the previous year's spending rate for 14 calendar days. If Congress still hasn’t passed a budget after those two weeks, the funding automatically rolls over for another 14 days, and so on. This continuous, short-term funding pressure keeps the government open while giving Congress a firm deadline to resolve their differences. Think of it as a rolling temporary contract that keeps the lights on until the permanent deal is signed.

The Guardrails: Keeping Agencies in Neutral

While this bill keeps the doors open, it doesn't give agencies a blank check. Section 2 puts strict limits on how this temporary money can be spent. Agencies are explicitly told they must use the ‘least amount of money necessary’ just to keep essential functions running. Crucially, they cannot use this funding to start new programs or award grants that might lock Congress into a spending decision before the final budget is passed. This restriction is designed to stop agencies from exploiting the temporary funding window to push through major new initiatives, ensuring that the final budget remains the ultimate decision-maker. The only real flexibility agency heads have is the ability to transfer up to 5% of funds between accounts within their agency, but only if the receiving program is deemed a ‘higher priority’—a provision that will require clear reporting to Congress to prevent administrative overreach.

The Budget Math

Section 3 addresses the nuts and bolts of government accounting. When the final budget eventually passes, any money spent under this automatic system is charged against that final appropriation. This prevents the temporary funding from becoming ‘extra’ spending and ensures the books balance correctly. By classifying this automatic money as a ‘part-year appropriation,’ it fits neatly into existing budget enforcement rules without disrupting the long-term spending caps set by the Balanced Budget Act. Essentially, the bill provides a clean, temporary loan that gets paid back when the real budget is finalized, maintaining fiscal responsibility while prioritizing operational continuity.