How to prevent a Government Shutdown

Simple.  Pass some appropriation bills.  They way it ought to be, and the way it used to be, Congress would pass bills appropriating money for each department of the executive, State, Defense, Treasury, NASA, Energy, Commerce, and so on.  If  appropriations for one department failed to pass, the rest of the government could keep on running.
   In the last 10-15 years Congress has been unable to pass appropriation bills.  At the 11th hour Congress will pass one single humungous bill that funds everything.  This trick neuters Congressional power of the purse.  You can't refuse to fund objectionable programs because the only way to do it is shut the entire government down, which is perilous.  Last time Newt Gengrich tried it, he was blamed for intransigence and driven from the speakership and from the House.  We don't have anyone in Congress anymore with the kind of stones Newt Gengrich had.  Newt was something of a loose cannon, but he had guts.  Congress won't do a government shutdown over Obama Care this time.  No guts.
    What they ought to do is pass appropriation bills for every department EXCEPT Obama care.  The house has the votes.  The Senate could be wooed into passing reasonable appropriation bills, especially if they were skillfully larded with pork.  If Obama vetoes them, then he looks intransigent.   Then we could keep the government alive, and Obamacare unfunded.