Summary

• Purpose: Prevent shutdowns, require zero‑based budgeting, regulate emergency spending, strengthen audits, and empower citizens with oversight.
• Net fiscal impact (annual): Low: ~$12B | Mid: ~$18B | High: ~$25B+ in savings; admin costs ~$500M.
• Primary beneficiaries: Federal employees, contractors, taxpayers, and citizens who gain transparency and input into appropriations.

Mechanism of savings

• Shutdown elimination: Automatic continuing appropriations prevent furloughs, contract penalties, and lost GDP.
• Zero‑based budgeting: Agencies must justify every dollar, exposing obsolete programs and cutting autopilot spending.
• Emergency spending reform: 180‑day expirations and justification requirements curb abuse of “emergency” designations.
• Audit enforcement: GAO audits with 5% admin cuts for non‑compliance drive efficiency.
• Citizen oversight: Dashboards and comment tools force committees to respond to top 10% of citizen submissions.
• Congressional penalties: Members lose pay, perks, and committee funds during CR periods, creating accountability.

Assumptions

• Baseline: Federal budget ~$6T annually.
• Shutdown costs: ~$3–5B per event; historically every 2–3 years.
• Emergency abuse: ~$100B+ annually designated as “emergency” without expiration.
• Audit savings: 1–2% of agency admin budgets (~$5–10B) through compliance pressure.
• Admin costs: ~$500M/year for dashboards, audits, and enforcement.

Calculations

• Low case: $12.5B savings – $0.5B costs = ≈ $12B net.
• Mid case: $18.5B savings – $0.5B costs = ≈ $18B net.
• High case: $25.5B savings – $0.5B costs = ≈ $25B net.

Risks and mitigation

• Congressional resistance: Mitigated by pay/perk forfeiture and citizen lawsuits.
• Dashboard manipulation: Machine‑readable, GAO‑audited data ensures integrity.
• Litigation overload: Citizen suits limited to compliance enforcement, not policy disputes.

Measurement and reporting

• KPIs: Shutdown days avoided, % of agencies submitting zero‑based budgets, emergency appropriations expiring on time, GAO audit compliance, citizen submissions and responses.
• Cadence: Dashboards updated within 48 hours of budget submission; GAO annual audits; quarterly compliance reports.

Bottom line

The Constituent First Budget Continuity and Accountability Act locks in continuity, forces every agency to justify every dollar, ends emergency abuse, and makes Congress—not citizens—pay for failure. The result: billions saved, no more shutdown chaos, and receipts the public can see.