Tom Cole: “Whenever the gentleman is prepared to close, we will close. We were hopeful that one of our speakers would arrive, but…”

We want to take away the possibility of a shutdown between now and the election.

The only reason we’re doing it now is, first, the Senate Democrats, I think, have misused the filibuster, and honestly, the Republicans have let them misuse the filibuster.

It gives the nation and our constituents certainty, certainty that the government will remain open, certainty that our service members will be paid.

The Senate has wasted the entire year and a half. They have not passed a single bill.