Tom Cole: “Mr. Cole. I would appreciate it, because I agree very much with your basic point.”

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

I hold the Democrats in the Senate most responsible, but I don’t excuse the Republicans for letting them do it.

For anyone questioning this legislation, the facts are simple — it extends the government funding deadline to Dec. 4, denying any party the opportunity to manufacture leverage before elections.

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