Sen. Warner Seeks to Stop Shutdown STUPIDITY

In what may be as much an effort to make a statement as to make legislation, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has introduced the The Stop STUPIDITY (Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage In The Coming Years) Act.

Sen. Mark Warner

Sen. Mark Warner

As the record-setting shutdown government marked day 32, Warner called the bill an "aggressive but necessary step of forcing the President and Congress to do the jobs they were elected to do..."

The bill would prevent future shutdowns by keeping the government running in the case of a funding lapse by renewing funding at the levels of the previous fiscal year, including adjustments for inflation.

Warner's office said the idea was to force Congress and the White House to the table "without putting at risk the economy or hurting the American public."

Warner supported the bill Congress did pass to pay federal and other government workers for days the government is shut down and introduced a bill that would pay federal contractors as well.

Most of the FCC is shut down, but those who are working are being paid out of auction proceeds rather than appropriations, according to the FCC. The Commission is continuing its 28 GHz auction during the shutdown.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.