As the government shutdown continues, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) addressed the impact of ongoing partisan disagreements on the federal budget process. Cole highlighted that each day of the shutdown delays progress on appropriations conferences and prevents Congress from carrying out its fiscal responsibilities.
Cole criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting a continuing resolution (CR) that he described as nonpartisan and comprehensive. According to Cole, “The clean, nonpartisan CR they’ve rejected 13 times fully funds SNAP and WIC, pays all federal workers, including our service members and air traffic controllers, and keeps every federal service operational for Americans. It’s straightforward, responsible, and free of poison pills and partisan riders. No political leverage — just action to protect Americans.”
He argued that the longer the shutdown persists, the greater the risk to passing full-year appropriations. “Every day the government remains shut, the risk to full-year appropriations grows. We are losing daylight fast. Democrats are upending the critical progress appropriators have secured by breaking their bad habits,” Cole said.
Cole also pointed out that no FY25 appropriations bills were brought to the Senate floor under Majority Leader Schumer. He contrasted this with what he called a more transparent process led by Republicans: “Republicans replaced his beloved chaos of last-minute, thousand-page omnibus bills written in the dark with a transparent, line-by-line process in the open. And it was working. The first slate of FY26 conference bills was nearly finished before this senseless obstruction halted responsible governing in its tracks.”
Emphasizing the importance of returning to regular order in budgeting, Cole stated, “That work toward regular order is what American taxpayers deserve, and Democrats are jeopardizing our Article I responsibilities. As FY25 proved, the more time forfeited, the fewer options we have.” He concluded by expressing his commitment to bipartisan cooperation for completing full-year funding for fiscal year 2026: “In the strongest terms, I remain fully committed to driving bipartisan cooperation to complete full-year FY26 funding. If Democrats truly cared about protecting the institution and nation, they would stop the sabotage and vote to reopen the government.”
