Tom Cole: “I again want to advise my friend I am prepared to close whenever she is.”

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.

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.

We're going to be in a crunch time.