Rep. Tom Cole Urges Passing Funding Bill to Reopen Government

The Basic Duty of Funding the Government

• 📌 Representative Tom Cole emphasizes that funding the government is the most basic and essential duty of Congress.
• 🏛️ He highlights that the House has successfully passed bipartisan, bicameral bills to fund government departments and agencies, with six already signed into law by President Trump.

Avoiding a Government Shutdown

• ⚠️ Cole argues that the current partial government shutdown could have and should have been avoided.
• 🤝 A bipartisan and bicameral deal was struck to move forward on appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026, with the House acting expeditiously.
• 🗣️ Despite frustrations with last-minute changes by the Senate, the obligation is to the American people, not emotions.

Proposed Solution and Consequences of Inaction

• 📊 The best approach is to pass five funding bills and a short-term stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security, providing full funding for over 95% of the government.
• 📉 Continuing a shutdown would repeat mistakes from October, causing chaos for federal employees, impacting airports, stressing military families, and destabilizing the economy.
• 🚫 Shutdowns are presented as ineffective and harmful to the American people.

Core Priorities and President Trump's Stance

• 🚀 The funding package supports core priorities including strengthening defense, providing pay raises for troops, advancing biomedical research, enhancing education programs, improving infrastructure safety, supporting small businesses, and reinforcing cybersecurity.
• 🗓️ A two-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security allows additional time for negotiations.
• 🗣️ President Trump is actively engaged in good-faith conversations and has stated that holding the government hostage is wrong, urging immediate passage of the bill.

Call to Action for Responsible Governance

• ✅ Lawmakers have an opportunity to do the right thing, govern responsibly, and complete their FY26 duties by passing the bipartisan package.
• 🇺🇸 The American people expect stability and results, which these bills aim to deliver.
• 🤝 The measures have already passed the House with strong bipartisan support, and the responsibility now is to finalize them.