Opening the Government

This week, legislation to reopen the federal government was signed into law.

We should have never been in this situation in the first place. I am frustrated with the brinksmanship in Washington.

Over a month ago, I voted for, and the House of Representatives passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to continue government funding and prevent a shutdown. Unfortunately, that bill did not pass the Senate until earlier this week. This delay caused the 43 day shutdown. After a final vote on Wednesday, the CR was signed into law and the federal government is now funded through January 30, 2026. 

As part of this CR, Congress also passed three appropriations bills which funded veterans programs, agricultural programs, and legislative operations. Congress is now working to pass the remaining nine appropriations bills for FY 2026 to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.

During the shutdown, members of our military, federal law enforcement, and essential workers like air traffic control did not receive pay. Important programs like SNAP also were not funded due to a lapse in appropriations. Flights across the country were impacted by the shutdown and major airports reduced air traffic, following federal safety guidance.

Unfortunately, the chaos of this shutdown was entirely avoidable. Had the Senate passed the House led clean CR immediately, our government would have remained open. Unfortunately, a number of Senators did not vote for the House-passed CR until this week. 

Our government should not have shut down. Like you, I am frustrated with the dysfunction in Washington and the chaos that this shutdown caused. Now that the government is open, it's time to reform the appropriations process in Washington. We must eliminate the potential for any future shutdown.

Preventing Future Shutdowns

I'm working to end government shutdowns permanently.  I joined Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) in introducing the Eliminate Government Shutdowns Act. This bill would create an automatic two-week CR if Congress does not finalize appropriations at the end of a fiscal year. Funding would remain at existing levels until new appropriations are signed into law, ending the possibility for future shutdowns.

A similar process is used in Wisconsin. This is why Wisconsin does not shut down, even if the state budget is not passed on time. 

I spoke with TMJ4 in Milwaukee about the need to reform the broken spending process in Washington. We also discussed why it's critical to pass my bill to permanently end government shutdowns. You can watch below or at the link here.

Listening to You

One of my top priorities is being available and accessible to my constituents. Since taking office I have held 39 in-person listening sessions and monthly telephone town halls. This year, I held numerous in-person listening sessions including in Beloit, Bristol, Elkhorn, Janesville, and Mount Pleasant. 

This coming Monday I will hold my monthly telephone town hall at 12:00pm CT. Sign up to receive a call and join our telephone town hall here. 

I look forward to hearing your priorities, sharing more information about recent events in Washington, and discussing how we can work to deliver relief for working families.

I want to hear from you:

What is the top issue you'd like to discuss on my telephone town hall?

Government Shutdown Inflation and Cost of Living Border Security and Immigration State of Democracy Social Security & Medicare Healthcare Costs Budget & Taxes Crime Energy Costs Foreign Policy Other (please specify)

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Stock Trading in Congress

Members of Congress should never profit off insider information.

There have been allegations of members of Congress trading individual stocks and making significant profits or conducting insider trading. These trades could potentially occur in industries that members oversee.

Next Wednesday, at 9:00am CT, I will lead a congressional hearing on the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act.

The STOCK Act was passed in 2012 to address the potential for members of Congress to engage in insider trading. The STOCK Act requires members of Congress to disclose the purchase of stocks, bonds, commodity futures, and other securities, typically within 30 days of purchase. Before the STOCK Act became law, members did not have to disclose their stock trades until their annual financial disclosure. The new disclosure requirement helps provide transparency as to if members are trading based on insider information.

There have been a number of proposals put forward this Congress to strengthen the STOCK Act. My hearing will review the current law and evaluate the reforms needed to fix the system. 

If you would like to watch our hearing, you can do so at the link here.

As always, feel free to contact my office if you have any questions, want to share an opinion or are having trouble with a federal agency.

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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