House Appropriations Committee holds hearing on alternatives to annual government shutdown threats

By Aris Folley Posted July 22, 2026 at 5:10pm

As Congress struggles once again to pass a funding extension and avert a government shutdown this fall, House appropriators took time Wednesday to consider alternative approaches to the budget process.

For more than three hours, the Appropriations Committee debated the merits of reforming the budget process to eliminate—or at least reduce—the threat of shutdowns.

Key Proposals

Automatic Stopgap Funding

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a key witness at the hearing, is advancing a bill that would eliminate shutdown risks by providing for automatic stopgap spending measures when a funding lapse is imminent. The proposal would extend funding for 14-day increments while lawmakers work toward a full-year appropriations deal.

Lankford argued the measure would encourage bipartisan negotiation during a funding lapse by requiring members to remain in Washington and ensuring federal workers continue to receive pay.

"We all have to stay here, and it is required in this. We have a quorum call every day. We cannot go into recess for more than 23 hours, so it requires everybody to be here." — Sen. James Lankford

Democratic Opposition

Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the committee, argued that automatic continuing resolutions (CRs) would become a crutch, removing the incentive for tough negotiations on funding priorities.

"Auto-CRs are permission never to finish the process at all. Permanently funding the government would incentivize some in this Congress to harden their positions." — Rep. Rosa DeLauro

Expedited Senate Consideration

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., is pursuing legislation that would allow full-year appropriations bills to receive the same expedited Senate consideration granted to budget reconciliation bills. Reconciliation measures can pass the Senate with a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., a senior appropriator, said McClintock's bill could go "a long way toward fixing the problem by requiring expedited procedures in the Senate," citing filibuster rules as a key obstacle.

Filibuster Debate

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., another senior appropriator, raised the idea of "rethinking the filibuster" during the hearing. Lankford resisted, defending the Senate filibuster and arguing that the real problem is lawmakers being "allergic to having bipartisan conversations."

Concerns About Continuing Resolutions

Shalanda Young, former White House budget director, warned against increased reliance on continuing resolutions, noting that stopgap measures prevent agencies from making critical decisions.

"Federal agencies can't make big decisions until full-year bills are done. If that's six months later, the Army, Navy can't go into long-term procurements on new things." — Shalanda Young

Young added that state and local governments would be deprived of heating assistance and other grants for low-income households under prolonged CRs.

Timing and Next Steps

The debate took place during the committee's last scheduled hearing before the House departs Thursday for an extended summer recess. When the chamber reconvenes on August 31, lawmakers will face a tight deadline to pass a stopgap bill before the October 1 deadline.