All politics has become nationalized today. Therefore, whenever something happens on the national level, I hear about it. I can tell by the number of comments when something has struck a nerve. This latest government shutdown, due to a congressional standoff, struck a nerve. 

It surprised me because these federal government shutdowns have become somewhat routine in recent years. However, this one appears to have broken the camel’s back. It also seemed more childish than others. Every time it happens, it’s like children on a playground that, when one of them doesn’t get their way, they take their ball and toys home. Someone needs to explain to them that running the United States government is not like play time in kindergarten.

Our Alabama Constitution is arguably antiquated; however, our 1901 framework has some fundamental conservative edicts that the current U.S. government could and should adopt. The cornerstone mandate is that the Alabama Legislature must adopt and write a new budget every year, and that budget must be balanced. This is the only task that the legislature must accomplish every year. It is the priority of the Alabama Legislature to pass a balanced budget at each and every legislative session.

The U.S. Congress should adopt this same approach. It has been 15 years since the federal congress has actually structured a singular federal budget. They pass stop gap measures called continuing resolutions.

The U.S. House is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. They have allegiance to their party, rather than their constituents. They each vote lockstep with their party mantra and decisions. There are no nonpartisan legislative leaders who cross party paths to stand up for the American people. They are party pawns. We may as well have AI machines or androids pushing their voting machines.

Which brings me to the point that causes me consternation. When they reached a disagreement on the partisan stalemates with this latest historically lengthy impasse, they literally went home on a fall vacation. Congressmen were still getting paid, still getting all their exorbitant healthcare benefits, and unlimited perks. Their flight fares back home were paid while all government employees were going without pay checks.

My suggestion would be that whenever a continuing resolution to dictate the federal budget fails to pass and it shuts down the entire U.S. government and harms our national security, then Congress must suffer and face the consequences of their adolescent behavior. The members of Congress, including all 435 House members and all 100 U.S. Senators, automatically lose their salaries, and I mean permanently. They quit getting a paycheck, and when the stalemate ends, they do not get back pay. It is gone forever. They lose their health insurance while on strike. Furthermore, they cannot be reimbursed for travel to their district. 

It is abhorrent that this time they arrogantly shut down the government and adjourned and flew home to their district. They should be required to stay in Washington and stay on the floor of Congress the entire time until a budget is resolved. As soon as the continuing resolution to keep the government operating fails to pass and the government closes, all congressional paychecks, health insurance, free travel and staff ends, and all 535 members of Congress are summoned to the Capitol and must stay there until a budget is passed and the government is back to order.

They also would be prohibited from talking to the media or making any public statements to their respective entertainment news channels. Republicans could not spout their rhetoric to Fox and Democrats could not espouse their liberal diatribe to CNN or MSNBC. Fox will blame the Democrats without any help, and Democratic channels CNN, CBS, and MSNBC will blame the Republicans regardless.

Most Americans in the middle blame both parties equally. They say, “a pox on both your houses.” This is not a childish “take your toys home” playground spat. This is called running a country.

George Washington, the wise father of our nation, warned against America adopting political parties. He knew that, like in Britain, the House of Commons would owe their allegiance to their Party rather than to the people they are elected to represent.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at [email protected].