{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cunningham.house.gov/media/press-releases/cunningham-introduces-funding-deadline-enforcement-act", "Cunningham Introduces the Funding Deadline Enforcement Act", "2019-11-21", "2019", "2019-11", "Democrat", "House", "SC", "Joe Cunningham", "C001122", "cunningham.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01) introduced the Funding Deadline Enforcement Act, commonsense legislation that would prevent government shutdowns and force Congress to do its job instead of relying on temporary budget extensions. If all appropriations bills are not passed by both chambers and signed by the President by October 1 each year, Members of Congress would be forbidden from using official Congressional funds to travel. Instead, Congress would be forced to remain in session until they reach a new, full-year funding agreement for the fiscal year in question.\nThe Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse and endows Congress with the sole responsibility to raise revenue and appropriate money to fund the federal government. In recent years, Congress has abdicated that duty and relied on continuing resolutions [CRs] that freeze federal spending at the previous year's levels. Since Fiscal Year 1997, an average of at least five CRs have been signed into law each fiscal year before the appropriations process was completed for that year.\nFunding the government on time is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress. Yet here we are, two months into fiscal year 2020 and nowhere near a full-year appropriations package for this fiscal year. We cannot continue hurtling towards shutdowns and abdicating our constitutional responsibility by passing continuing resolutions, said Rep. Joe Cunningham.\nWhen Congress can barely keep the lights on, we cannot prioritize the smart, responsible spending necessary to get our skyrocketing debt under control. Ending the practice of continuing resolutions is necessary to ensure a fiscally responsible federal budget and prevent our armed forces and veterans from being harmed by budget uncertainty. This commonsense legislation would prevent Congress from leaving before the job is done, and I encourage my colleagues in the House to pass it as soon as possible. \nLegislation highlights:\n \nMembers of Congress would be prohibited from using official funds to travel except to the District of Columbia or in the cases of emergency;\n\tThe House would be prohibited from adjourning for a period of longer than 12 hours;\n\tThe House would be required to conduct at least one recorded vote each day, ensuring Member attendance.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cunningham.house.gov/media/press-releases/cunningham-introduces-funding-deadline-enforcement-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9511180687695742, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}