Tom Cole: “I would like to work with the gentlelady on this and find some way to do this.”

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

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.

Our conference refuses to let the obstruction and inaction of Senate Democrats trigger another manufactured shutdown at the end of September. That is why we are acting before a funding lapse crisis, not in response to it.

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