Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026

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Bill ID: 119/s/4632
Last Updated: June 7, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

ID: L000575

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 424.

May 31, 2026

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the intellectually bankrupt geniuses in Congress. The "Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026" - because, you know, preventing government shutdowns is exactly what this bill does (insert eye-roll). Let's dissect this farce and expose the underlying disease: a toxic mix of cowardice, corruption, and stupidity.

The total funding amounts and budget allocations are, predictably, a mess. It's like trying to read a medical chart written by a kindergartener on a sugar high. The bill provides for "such sums as may be necessary" - code for "we have no idea what we're doing, so let's just throw money at it and hope for the best." This lack of transparency is a symptom of a deeper disease: the politicians' addiction to pork-barrel spending and their inability to make tough decisions.

Key programs and agencies receiving funds include the usual suspects: defense contractors, agricultural subsidies, and entitlements. Because, you know, those are the only things that really matter in America (insert sarcasm). The increases in funding for these programs are a clear indication of the politicians' priorities: lining their own pockets and those of their corporate donors.

Notable increases or decreases from previous years? Ha! It's like trying to track the spread of a virus through a population of incompetent bureaucrats. Let's just say that some programs will get more money, others less, and it's all just a big game of musical chairs - except instead of chairs, it's your tax dollars being wasted on pet projects and earmarks.

Riders and policy provisions attached to funding? Oh boy, where do I even start? It's like finding a tumor in a patient's brain and discovering that it's been metastasizing for years. There are provisions to limit the president's ability to declare national emergencies (because, you know, Congress wants to ensure they can continue to grandstand without actually doing any work), and others that will inevitably lead to more bureaucratic red tape and inefficiency.

Fiscal impact and deficit implications? *laughs* You want me to analyze the fiscal impact of a bill that's essentially a blank check? It's like trying to predict the trajectory of a projectile launched by a drunken monkey. Let's just say it'll be a mess, and we'll all be left picking up the pieces when the inevitable budget crisis hits.

In conclusion, this bill is a symptom of a terminal disease: the complete and utter failure of our political system to serve the public interest. It's a never-ending cycle of corruption, cowardice, and stupidity, fueled by the politicians' addiction to power and money. And we're all just along for the ride, watching as they drive the country off a cliff while pretending to be responsible stewards of our tax dollars. Joy.

Related Topics

Federal Budget & Appropriations Defense Spending & Procurement Military & Veterans Affairs
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$112,600
19 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$2,000
Committees
$0
Individuals
$110,600

No PAC contributions found

1
MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION
1 transaction
$1,000
2
HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH LLP
1 transaction
$1,000

No committee contributions found

1
SAMPLES, RYAN
3 transactions
$16,500
2
KAY, ALISON
1 transaction
$6,600
3
KANADY, CHRISTIAN
1 transaction
$6,600
4
MANDELBLATT, DANIELLE
1 transaction
$6,600
5
MANDELBLATT, ERIC
1 transaction
$6,600
6
ROWAN, CAROLYN
1 transaction
$6,600
7
ROWAN, MARC J.
1 transaction
$6,600
8
ARMSTRONG, SINCLAIR WALKER JR.
1 transaction
$6,600
9
LOWELL OSHMAN, LISHA K.
1 transaction
$6,600
10
MASSEY, GREGORY LEWIS
1 transaction
$6,600
11
VIELEHR, BYRON
2 transactions
$6,600
12
KIMBER, SHELDON
1 transaction
$5,800
13
NATION, THE CHEROKEE
1 transaction
$5,000
14
PACE, CHARLES
1 transaction
$5,000
15
CANTRELL, MIKE
1 transaction
$5,000
16
JONES, BILL
1 transaction
$4,000
17
BODE, DENISE A.
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]

ID: H001076

Top Contributors

10

1
WOODS, ANDREW L.
LIBERTY PARTNERS GROUP ATTORNEY
Individual FORT MYERS, FL
$4,300
Jun 29, 2023
2
WOODS, ANDREW L.
Individual FORT MYERS, FL
$3,900
Jul 12, 2023
3
BEKENSTEIN, ANITA
NOT EMPLOYED NOT EMPLOYED
Individual WAYLAND, MA
$3,300
Oct 4, 2023
4
BEKENSTEIN, JOSH
NOT EMPLOYED RETIRED
Individual WAYLAND, MA
$3,300
Oct 4, 2023
5
HUNTER, DANIEL
SELF-EMPLOYED PLAYWRIGHT & TEACHER
Individual CAMBRIDGE, MA
$3,300
Dec 6, 2023
6
KLARMAN, SETH
THE BAUPOST GROUP CEO
Individual BOSTON, MA
$3,300
Dec 18, 2023
7
SCHWARTZ, GABRIEL
DAVIDSON KEMPNER INVESTMENT MANAGER
Individual BROOKLYN, NY
$3,300
Oct 16, 2023
8
SWINDELL, C. DAVID
NOT EMPLOYED NOT EMPLOYED
Individual BOSTON, MA
$3,300
Oct 10, 2023
9
KORN, WILLIAM T.
NSRA RADIOLOGIST
Individual WABAN, MA
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023
10
KORN, WILLIAM T.
NSRA RADIOLOGIST
Individual WABAN, MA
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023

Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]

ID: B001261

Top Contributors

10

1
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
COM ATMORE, AL
$3,300
May 24, 2023
2
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
COM ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Sep 20, 2024
3
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
COM LOS ANGELES, CA
$2,500
Dec 31, 2024
4
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
COM LIVINGSTON, TX
$1,000
Jun 29, 2023
5
MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION
COM OKMULGEE, OK
$1,000
Oct 30, 2024
6
TO PROTECT OUR HERITAGE
Organization SKOKIE, IL
$5,000
Jun 26, 2024
7
TO PROTECT OUR HERITAGE
Organization SKOKIE, IL
$5,000
Jun 26, 2024
8
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
Organization CHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Jun 11, 2024
9
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
Organization CHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Jun 11, 2024
10
UTE INDIAN TRIBE
Organization FORT DUCHESNE, UT
$3,300
Nov 13, 2024

Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]

ID: D000618

Top Contributors

10

1
CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD NATI
Organization PABLO, MT
$6,600
Mar 30, 2023
2
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization LAKESIDE, CA
$5,000
Jun 18, 2024
3
BLUECHIP FINANCIAL
Organization BELCOURT, ND
$3,300
Jun 20, 2024
4
HPUL PROJECT OPERATION
Organization UPPER LAKE, CA
$3,300
Jun 20, 2024
5
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
Organization CHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
6
SUQUAMISH INDIAN TRIBE
Organization SUQUAMISH, WA
$3,300
Sep 20, 2024
7
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
Organization LIVINGSTON, TX
$2,500
Oct 31, 2024
8
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jun 5, 2024
9
MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION
Organization OKMULGEE, OK
$1,000
Jun 20, 2024
10
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
Organization DURANT, OK
$765
Oct 17, 2023

Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]

ID: B001243

Top Contributors

10

1
FRIENDS OF COMMUNITY ONCOLOGY PAC
PAC VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
$5,000
Apr 12, 2023
2
THE COGGIN GROUP
Organization MURFREESBORO, TN
$2,900
Mar 9, 2023
3
THE COGGIN GROUP
Organization MURFREESBORO, TN
$2,500
Mar 9, 2023
4
DOSS BROTHERS FARM
Organization LAWRENCEBURG, TN
$1,000
Apr 17, 2024
5
DOSS BROTHERS FARM
Organization LAWRENCEBURG, TN
$1,000
Mar 18, 2024
6
BL PARTNERS GROUP LLC
Organization ARLINGTON, VA
$500
Mar 17, 2023
7
KING, RODNEY W.
SELF-EMPLOYED ATTORNEY
Individual GERMANTOWN, TN
$13,200
Apr 4, 2024
8
BEAN, BILL G.
HANNING & BEAN ENTERPRISES INC. REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
Individual COLUMBIA CITY, IN
$10,000
May 1, 2024
9
SMITH, THOMAS
PRESCOTT INVESTORS INC. INVESTOR
Individual BOCA RATON, FL
$10,000
May 13, 2024
10
GAMBLE, KATHRYN
UNAKA CO BUSINESS EXECUTIVE
Individual DALLAS, TX
$9,900
Jul 15, 2024

Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

ID: B001319

Top Contributors

10

1
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Sep 14, 2023
2
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Oct 11, 2024
3
CHEROKEE NATION
Organization TAHLEQUAH, OK
$2,500
Oct 29, 2024
4
HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH LLP
Organization RICHMOND, VA
$1,000
Jul 25, 2024
5
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
May 1, 2024
6
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Nov 9, 2023
7
STRONG, MIRANDA
CALISTA DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Individual ANCHORAGE, AK
$5,000
Sep 20, 2023
8
STEPHENS, TYLER
FIERCE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LOBBYIST
Individual WASHINGTON, DC
$3,300
Jul 1, 2023
9
SINGER, PAUL
ELLIOTT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CO-CEO, CO-CIO, PRESIDENT
Individual PALM BEACH, FL
$3,300
Jul 6, 2023
10
SINGER, PAUL
ELLIOTT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CO-CEO, CO-CIO, PRESIDENT
Individual PALM BEACH, FL
$3,300
Jul 9, 2023

Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]

ID: E000295

Top Contributors

10

1
SAC & FOX TRIBE OF MISSISSIPPI IN IOWA
Organization TAMA, IA
$5,000
Aug 29, 2023
2
SAC & FOX TRIBE OF MISSISSIPPI IN IOWA
Organization TAMA, IA
$1,700
Sep 28, 2023
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
May 21, 2024
4
ABEL, ANDREA MS.
HOMEMAKER HOMEMAKER
Individual DES MOINES, IA
$50,000
Feb 7, 2023
5
MCINERNEY, THOMAS E. MR.
BLUFF POINT ASSOC. CORPORATION VENTURE INVESTOR
Individual WESTPORT, CT
$50,000
Feb 22, 2023
6
NICOLLS, BOB MR.
MONARCH REAL ESTATE
Individual FRANKTOWN, CO
$25,000
Mar 17, 2023
7
GRAY, C. BOYDEN
SELF-EMPLOYED ATTORNEY
Individual WASHINGTON, DC
$25,000
Mar 29, 2023
8
CATSIMATIDIS, JOHN A. MR.
UNITED REFINING COMPANY CHARIMAN & CEO
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$25,000
May 16, 2023
9
KOTICK, ROBERT MR.
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD CEO
Individual SANTA MONICA, CA
$16,600
Dec 20, 2024
10
VINCZE, CHRISTOPHER
TRC COMPANIES INC. CHAIRMAN AND CEO
Individual TEQUESTA, FL
$15,800
Nov 6, 2023

Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]

ID: G000386

Top Contributors

10

1
SAC & FOX TRIBE OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN IOWA
COM TAMA, IA
$2,000
Aug 8, 2023
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
COM PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jul 23, 2024
3
WINRED
PAC ARLINGTON, VA
$25
Jul 4, 2024
4
SCHWARZMAN, CHRISTINE
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Jan 10, 2024
5
SCHWARZMAN, STEPHEN
BLACKSTONE CEO
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Jan 16, 2024
6
KUMAR, SHALLI
AVG ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CHAIR
Individual BETTENDORF, IA
$6,600
Jun 11, 2024
7
STARRETT, RONALD
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual CENTENNIAL, CO
$5,800
Jan 24, 2023
8
COLLINS, RICHARD
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual MARSHALLTOWN, IA
$5,523
Oct 1, 2024
9
COLLINS, RICHARD
Individual MARSHALLTOWN, IA
$5,523
Oct 7, 2024
10
WEISS, LUKE
HOOVER'S HATCHERY PRESIDENT
Individual MASON CITY, IA
$3,300
Dec 11, 2024

Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]

ID: M001243

Top Contributors

10

1
SIG SAUER PAC
PAC PORTSMOUTH, NH
$2,500
Oct 4, 2024
2
SEGURO MEDICO LLC
Organization READING, PA
$10,000
Aug 21, 2024
3
CLEMENTS MIDWAY PARTNERS LLC
Organization SALT LAKE CITY, UT
$10,000
Sep 16, 2024
4
BLOOMSBURG INDUSTRIAL VENTURES LLC
Organization BLOOMSBURG, PA
$4,000
Apr 23, 2024
5
SUN CENTER LP
Organization ASTON, PA
$2,500
Dec 12, 2023
6
UTILITY ADVISORY GROUP LLC
Organization HAVERTOWN, PA
$1,500
May 7, 2024
7
MODEVITY LLC
Organization MALVERN, PA
$1,500
May 24, 2024
8
O'DONNELL PARTNERS LLC
Organization MALVERN, PA
$1,500
May 24, 2024
9
KRAUSE & ASSOCIATES LP
Organization AUSTIN, TX
$1,000
Dec 20, 2023
10
BLOOMSBURG INDUSTRIAL VENTURES LLC
Organization BLOOMSBURG, PA
$700
Apr 23, 2024

Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]

ID: C001047

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEROKEE NATION
Organization TAHLEQUAH, OK
$2,800
Dec 31, 2024
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Nov 8, 2023
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jul 22, 2024
4
ARNOLD, JOHN MR.
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$6,600
Dec 27, 2023
5
MANOCHERIAN, JENNIFER MS.
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual SCARSDALE, NY
$6,600
Feb 17, 2023
6
MANOCHERIAN, JED MR.
SELF REAL ESTATE
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Feb 23, 2023
7
MANOCHERIAN, GREG MR.
SELF EMPLOYED REAL ESTATE
Individual POUND RIDGE, NY
$6,600
Mar 1, 2023
8
MANOCHERIAN, KIM
PANAM EQUITIES EXECUTIVE
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Mar 27, 2023
9
KAY, ALISON MS.
KIDS CAPITAL HEDGE FUND MANAGER
Individual BEVERLY HILLS, CA
$6,600
Jun 20, 2023
10
MANDELBLATT, DANIELLE
DMM PROPRIETA MANAGEMENT MANAGER
Individual ASPEN, CO
$6,600
Sep 26, 2024

Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]

ID: C000880

Top Contributors

10

1
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization BANNING, CA
$3,300
Jun 30, 2023
2
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization LOS ANGELES, CA
$2,000
Dec 19, 2024
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Apr 30, 2024
4
ONEIDA NATION
Organization ONEIDA, WI
$1,000
Sep 10, 2024
5
RENO-SPARKS INDIAN COLONY
Organization RENO, NV
$500
Sep 10, 2024
6
ARNOLD, JOHN D. MR.
NONE RETIRED
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$6,600
May 6, 2024
7
LEPRINO, TERRY L
NONE RETIRED
Individual DENVER, CO
$3,300
Nov 1, 2024
8
BUKOWSKY, BRANT
MORTGAGE RESEARCH CENTER ENTREPRENEUR
Individual COLUMBIA, MO
$3,300
Oct 9, 2023
9
BUKOWSKY, BROCK
VETERANS UNITED FINANCE
Individual COLUMBIA, MO
$3,300
Nov 28, 2023
10
SILBEY, ALEXANDER
ATS COMMUNICATIONS, INC. CONSULTANT
Individual WASHINGTON, DC
$3,300
Dec 21, 2023

Donor Network - Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 35 nodes and 37 connections

Total contributions: $167,600

Top Donors - Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount

2 Orgs17 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 11 helped.

  • Section 2(b)(3) maintains program levels under current law for entitlements and other mandatory payments, including those related to healthcare, during a lapse in appropriations.

  • +Health Insurance confidence 0.80

    Section 2(b)(3) maintains program levels under current law for entitlements and other mandatory payments, including those related to health insurance, during a lapse in appropriations.

  • +Pharmaceuticals confidence 0.80

    Section 2(b)(3) maintains program levels under current law for entitlements and other mandatory payments, including those related to pharmaceuticals, during a lapse in appropriations.

  • +Medical Devices confidence 0.80

    Section 2(b)(3) maintains program levels under current law for entitlements and other mandatory payments, including those related to medical devices, during a lapse in appropriations.

  • +Biotech & Research confidence 0.80

    Section 2(b)(3) maintains program levels under current law for entitlements and other mandatory payments, including those related to biotech research, during a lapse in appropriations.

  • Section 2(b)(3) maintains program levels under current law for entitlements and other mandatory payments, including those related to long-term care, during a lapse in appropriations.

+ 5 more industries not shown.

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Introduction

Weak
Vector: 72%
Pages: 40-42 AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill and Project 2025 policy are tangentially related through their criticism of the current legislative process, but they do not share significant overlap in objectives, with the bill focusing on government shutdowns and the policy emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in policymaking. The alignment is weak due to the lack of direct connection between the two."

Key themes: legislative process criticism lack of transparency policymaking accountability

— 7 — Foreword Instead, party leaders negotiate one multitrillion-dollar spending bill—several thousand pages long—and then vote on it before anyone, literally, has had a chance to read it. Debate time is restricted. Amendments are prohibited. And all of this is backed up against a midnight deadline when the previous “omnibus” spending bill will run out and the federal government “shuts down.” This process is not designed to empower 330 million American citizens and their elected representatives, but rather to empower the party elites secretly nego- tiating without any public scrutiny or oversight. In the end, congressional leaders’ behavior and incentives here are no differ- ent from those of global elites insulating policy decisions—over the climate, trade, public health, you name it—from the sovereignty of national electorates. Public scrutiny and democratic accountability make life harder for policymakers—so they skirt it. It’s not dysfunction; it’s corruption. And despite its gaudy price tag, the federal budget is not even close to the worst example of this corruption. That distinction belongs to the “Administrative State,” the dismantling of which must a top priority for the next conservative President. The term Administrative State refers to the policymaking work done by the bureaucracies of all the federal government’s departments, agencies, and millions of employees. Under Article I of the Constitution, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.” That is, federal law is enacted only by elected legislators in both houses of Congress. This exclusive authority was part of the Framers’ doctrine of “separated powers.” They not only split the federal government’s legislative, executive, and judicial powers into different branches. They also gave each branch checks over the others. Under our Constitution, the legislative branch—Congress—is far and away the most powerful and, correspondingly, the most accountable to the people. In recent decades, members of the House and Senate discovered that if they give away that power to the Article II branch of government, they can also deny responsi- bility for its actions. So today in Washington, most policy is no longer set by Congress at all, but by the Administrative State. Given the choice between being powerful but vulnerable or irrelevant but famous, most Members of Congress have chosen the latter. Congress passes intentionally vague laws that delegate decision-making over a given issue to a federal agency. That agency’s bureaucrats—not just unelected but seemingly un-fireable—then leap at the chance to fill the vacuum created by Congress’s preening cowardice. The federal government is growing larger and less constitutionally accountable—even to the President—every year. l A combination of elected and unelected bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency quietly strangles domestic energy production through difficult-to-understand rulemaking processes;

Introduction

Weak
Vector: 72%
Pages: 40-42 AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill and Project 2025 policy are tangentially related through their discussion of government spending and accountability, but the bill's focus on preventing government shutdowns does not directly address the policy's concerns about the Administrative State and constitutional accountability. The alignment is weak due to the lack of direct overlap in objectives."

Key themes: government spending accountability fiscal responsibility

— 7 — Foreword Instead, party leaders negotiate one multitrillion-dollar spending bill—several thousand pages long—and then vote on it before anyone, literally, has had a chance to read it. Debate time is restricted. Amendments are prohibited. And all of this is backed up against a midnight deadline when the previous “omnibus” spending bill will run out and the federal government “shuts down.” This process is not designed to empower 330 million American citizens and their elected representatives, but rather to empower the party elites secretly nego- tiating without any public scrutiny or oversight. In the end, congressional leaders’ behavior and incentives here are no differ- ent from those of global elites insulating policy decisions—over the climate, trade, public health, you name it—from the sovereignty of national electorates. Public scrutiny and democratic accountability make life harder for policymakers—so they skirt it. It’s not dysfunction; it’s corruption. And despite its gaudy price tag, the federal budget is not even close to the worst example of this corruption. That distinction belongs to the “Administrative State,” the dismantling of which must a top priority for the next conservative President. The term Administrative State refers to the policymaking work done by the bureaucracies of all the federal government’s departments, agencies, and millions of employees. Under Article I of the Constitution, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.” That is, federal law is enacted only by elected legislators in both houses of Congress. This exclusive authority was part of the Framers’ doctrine of “separated powers.” They not only split the federal government’s legislative, executive, and judicial powers into different branches. They also gave each branch checks over the others. Under our Constitution, the legislative branch—Congress—is far and away the most powerful and, correspondingly, the most accountable to the people. In recent decades, members of the House and Senate discovered that if they give away that power to the Article II branch of government, they can also deny responsi- bility for its actions. So today in Washington, most policy is no longer set by Congress at all, but by the Administrative State. Given the choice between being powerful but vulnerable or irrelevant but famous, most Members of Congress have chosen the latter. Congress passes intentionally vague laws that delegate decision-making over a given issue to a federal agency. That agency’s bureaucrats—not just unelected but seemingly un-fireable—then leap at the chance to fill the vacuum created by Congress’s preening cowardice. The federal government is growing larger and less constitutionally accountable—even to the President—every year. l A combination of elected and unelected bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency quietly strangles domestic energy production through difficult-to-understand rulemaking processes; — 8 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Bureaucrats at the Department of Homeland Security, following the lead of a feckless Administration, order border and immigration enforcement agencies to help migrants criminally enter our country with impunity; l Bureaucrats at the Department of Education inject racist, anti-American, ahistorical propaganda into America’s classrooms; l Bureaucrats at the Department of Justice force school districts to undermine girls’ sports and parents’ rights to satisfy transgender extremists; l Woke bureaucrats at the Pentagon force troops to attend “training” seminars about “white privilege”; and l Bureaucrats at the State Department infuse U.S. foreign aid programs with woke extremism about “intersectionality” and abortion.3 Unaccountable federal spending is the secret lifeblood of the Great Awokening. Nearly every power center held by the Left is funded or supported, one way or another, through the bureaucracy by Congress. Colleges and school districts are funded by tax dollars. The Administrative State holds 100 percent of its power at the sufferance of Congress, and its insulation from presidential discipline is an unconstitutional fairy tale spun by the Washington Establishment to protect its turf. Members of Congress shield themselves from constitutional accountability often when the White House allows them to get away with it. Cultural institutions like public libraries and public health agencies are only as “independent” from public accountability as elected officials and voters permit. Let’s be clear: The most egregious regulations promulgated by the current Administration come from one place: the Oval Office. The President cannot hide behind the agencies; as his many executive orders make clear, his is the respon- sibility for the regulations that threaten American communities, schools, and families. A conservative President must move swiftly to do away with these vast abuses of presidential power and remove the career and political bureaucrats who fuel it. Properly considered, restoring fiscal limits and constitutional accountability to the federal government is a continuation of restoring national sovereignty to the American people. In foreign affairs, global strategy, federal budgeting and pol- icymaking, the same pattern emerges again and again. Ruling elites slash and tear at restrictions and accountability placed on them. They centralize power up and away from the American people: to supra-national treaties and organizations, to left-wing “experts,” to sight-unseen all-or-nothing legislating, to the unelected career bureaucrats of the Administrative State.

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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