Tom Cole: “I appreciate your remarks, by the way, honoring our teachers.”

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

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.

It reinforces support for key allies - like Israel and Taiwan - and directly counters threats from Communist China and other regimes that challenge our interests and principles.

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