Tom Cole: “I think that reflects, Mr. Secretary, partly a great deal of confidence in you on both sides of the aisle.”

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

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.

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

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.