Lawmakers from Both Parties Seek to Limit DC Travel Amid Government Shutdowns

SALT‍ LAKE CITY ​— A group of senators, ‍representing both major political parties,⁤ is pushing for Congress to remain in Washington, ⁤D.C., during any future shutdowns. This move is the latest ‍in a series of efforts by lawmakers to prevent funding gaps caused by ‍political disputes.

The Prevent Government Shutdowns⁢ Act of 2026, which has garnered support from at ‌least 21 senators ​from both parties, mandates that both the House and Senate stay in ⁣the nation’s capital until all 12 of the annual appropriations bills are finalized. By doing so, lawmakers believe it will provide ‍an extra incentive to prevent a shutdown.

“This bill aims to protect federal workers from being caught in the crossfire of Congress’s failure to act during⁢ a ⁤shutdown,” said ⁤Idaho ⁢Sen. Mike Crapo, one of the primary sponsors of the bill. “It also imposes restrictions on congressional travel and limits floor time to appropriations to speed up the resolution process.”

The‍ proposed legislation ⁣would ​introduce automatic spending ⁤extensions every 14 days, maintaining the funding levels of the previous fiscal‌ year until the budget for the‌ next year ⁣is approved. This ​measure, lawmakers argue, ‌would ‌prevent any interruptions in essential government agencies and services.

However, the bill also sets​ certain restrictions for lawmakers. It prohibits taxpayer-funded travel for official business, which would‌ apply to the House, Senate, committee and personal staff for both chambers, and the White House Office of Management and ⁤Budget ​staff and leadership.

The bill would also prevent lawmakers from using campaign funds to cover travel expenses, ⁣meaning only personal funds could be used.​ Moreover, travel would be‍ limited as ⁣the proposal would not⁤ allow any recess periods to exceed 23 hours.

The bill also bars lawmakers from scheduling any votes unrelated to government funding, ​with exceptions for expiring authorization bills⁤ or nominations⁤ that occur 30⁣ days after the original shutdown date.

This bill is the latest attempt by lawmakers to prevent government shutdowns from being​ used as a bargaining chip, particularly in the‌ wake of the record-breaking full shutdown last year that left the entire federal government closed ‌for⁤ 43 days.

Earlier ‍this month, the Senate ⁢approved a bill to withhold senators’ paychecks ⁣if the government undergoes a shutdown, unanimously passing a policy ⁣specific to the chamber to discourage funding⁤ gaps.