Rep. Steil proposes Wisconsin idea for federal government

JANESVILLE

Rep. Bryan Steil is pushing to stop future federal government shutdowns by taking a cue from Wisconsin's government.

The 1st Congressional District's newly minted representative noted that if Wisconsin's Legislature can't pass a budget, the previous funding levels stay in place until a budget is passed.

But when Congress can't pass a budget, the government can be shut down.

A budget impasse led to a shutdown of portions of the government for 35 days in December and January, the longest U.S. government shutdown in history.

The Republican from Janesville made his comments Tuesday in a meeting with The Gazette Editorial Board—his first such meeting as a member of Congress.

Steil said of shutdowns: "They're terrible. They're the wrong approach. They don't work. Nobody wins."

Steil said he is a co-sponsor of House Resolution 791, which would require continuing appropriations to prevent a shutdown if a budget deal is not in effect by the time the fiscal year begins, an issue he brought up during the election.

The resolution would continue appropriations at previous levels for 120 days and then reduce appropriations by 1 percent. Appropriations would be reduced by 1 percent every 90 days after that.

Steil said he was upset to walk into a shutdown his first day on the job, especially the fact that Coast Guard members, some of whom had young families to support, could not get their regular paychecks.

"They were going to food pantries. I mean, this is beyond offensive, what occurred," he said.

Steil said he is "hopeful" the resolution will eventually pass, but he pointed to powerful forces in the House who are threatened by it.

Steil said members of the Appropriations Committee now use the threat of a shutdown as a negotiating tactic for their spending priorities, something they couldn't do if shutdowns were eliminated.

Support for the resolution is bipartisan, he said, adding that no matter which party holds sway in Congress, passage will take a speaker who is willing to alter the power structure.

According to Congress.gov, the bill is now in the Appropriations Committee.

In other comments, Steil said:

• He and colleagues are finalizing a bill to handicap international criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking, as part of his work on the Financial Services Committee.

He said the 1st District contains two major Interstate highway corridors where trafficking occurs, and the bill would make it harder for big traffickers to launder their profits, which he said are flowing through banks.

• He supports "a permanent structure on the southern border—a wall," and the president's emergency declaration to fund a wall.

But Steil said Congress should act to restore the House's power over spending decisions, which he said Congress has abdicated to the president through the years, and he's working with colleagues on a proposal to shift that power back.

• He wants to investigate whether it would be a good idea to have a nationwide requirement for employers to use the E-Verify system to remove an incentive for illegal immigration.

Steil said he would look into the matter after hearing the editorial board raise the issue, adding, "I can't understand why it hasn't been pushed through."

• "I vote my conscience 100 percent of the time," adding that he doesn't let the House minority whip, Rep. Steve Scalise,
• influence his vote, saying, "He doesn't elect me."