Tom Cole: “I want to use this forum to also put out a challenge to some of our friends at the State legislature.”

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.

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

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.