We’re back in government shutdown territory this week, with the deadline looming at the end of this week. This is always an unpleasant moment, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, along with a motley assortment of moderate and conservative Republicans, has a proposal that would avoid the all-too-common shutdown-showdown by putting appropriations into autopilot mode for a few months after each government shutdown deadline is met.

“Almost everybody hates government shutdowns. They don’t accomplish anything. They don’t get our fiscal house in order and they disrupt critical government programs that have a big impact on people’s lives,” Portman said in a statement provided to Roll Call ahead of the Senate reconvening Monday….The bill would provide automatic, flat-line continuing appropriations for 120 days, followed by further continuing spending with a one-percent reduction every 90 days after that.