Tom Cole: “We’re not trying to fool you. I don’t want to give you an excuse to vote no.”

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

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

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

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.