Cole Opposes Rushed Stopgap Funding Bill

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government through mid-December. Cole opposed the legislation.

"I am disappointed that Democrats not only waited until the last minute to address expiring government funding, but they also failed to involve Republicans in the process," said Cole. "If serious negotiation had occurred and if cooperation was underway on full-year funding, there could have been more support for this measure. Indeed, there are many items included in the continuing resolution that I support. However, I remain concerned about the lack of progress on a full-year funding deal. I am hopeful that Democrats will ditch their strategy of wasting time by going it alone and get serious about fully funding the government by working across the aisle to deliver the good of the American people."

Ahead of the vote earlier today, Cole also made extensive remarks explaining his opposition during rule debate on the House floor. Transcribed remarks below and video here.

Madam Speaker, it's unfortunate that Congress has waited until the last minute to take up the serious work of funding the government and keeping it open. It is equally unfortunate that our only option for doing so is a flawed, inadequate bill that does not meet the needs of the American people.

Despite this bill's flaws, there is much to like in it and much that I support. I voted in favor of the omnibus spending bill back in March, and this bill would maintain those spending levels through the middle of December. I support additional funding for Ukraine as they seek to defend themselves against Vladimir Putin's unjust and illegal invasion, and I support additional funds for disaster relief.

But just as important as what is included in this bill is what is not included in this bill and should have been.

It is undeniable that we are facing a humanitarian crisis at our southern border, caused in large part by the Biden Administration's unwillingness to confront what is staring them in the face. The Administration asked for $1.8 billion to assist migrants, which they have received in this legislation, but they did not ask for a single penny to secure the border. The Biden Administration has sought to add workers elsewhere in the government, like 87,000 new employees at the IRS, but they did not ask for money to add any new Border Patrol agents to help address this Biden-made crisis on the southern border. This could and should have been addressed in this bill, but it is not.

Similarly, the bill does nothing to address the high price of energy or provide new sources of energy. We should be doing everything we can to provide secure, reliable and inexpensive energy to the American people. Instead, the president is spending his time chastising energy companies. We should have addressed this issue in this bill, too, but we did not.

Nor does this bill address other crises affecting the American people, including inflation and economic recession, both caused by the reckless and profligate spending policies of the Biden Administration and this Majority. I could go on and on, but the point remains: so much should have been in this bill that is not.

I hope that if my friends in the Majority take anything from today's discussion, it is this: It's high time for them to get serious about appropriations and about holding bipartisan discussions with Republicans on full-year spending bills.

Consider where we are: the House Appropriations Committee, I'm proud to say, passed all 12 bills out of the committee this summer, yet as of today, only six have passed the floor. It's the Majority's responsibility to bring those bills to the floor. In the Senate, which Democrats also control, the record is even worse: not a single bill has been passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In addition, no serious negotiations have taken place between Republicans and Democrats and between the House and the Senate. These negotiations have been postponed all summer and into fall while the House takes up one political messaging bill after another.

Madam Speaker, we need to focus on the serious business of funding the government. In order to accomplish that goal and achieve a bipartisan agreement, four conditions will have to be met.

First, defense spending will have to go up to meet the level authorized in the FY 2023 NDAA. The level included in the House Defense Appropriations bill is wholly inadequate to meet America's defense needs and must go up to reach a final deal.

Second, non-defense discretionary spending will have to go down. The House non-defense appropriations bills were all marked up at a bloated level of spending that cannot be justified. These numbers must come down for an agreement to be had.

Third, longstanding bipartisan pro-life policies that have historically been carried in appropriations bills must be restored. The Majority stripped these out in the Appropriations Committee this year, but they must go back in. I cannot emphasize this point strongly enough, Madam Speaker: No Republicans, and I mean no Republicans, will vote for these bills unless these bipartisan pro-life riders are restored.

Fourth, the 12 House Appropriations Committee bills include countless poison pills that have to come out. These are liberal policy riders on all matters of topics, ranging from climate change to abortion to labor law. They have to come out to reach a bipartisan deal. And the appropriations bills cannot pass this House and pass the Senate unless there is a bipartisan deal.

Madam Speaker, we can reach a bipartisan, bicameral full-year spending deal if my friends in the Majority get serious about negotiating. At the end of the day, Republicans must be included in these negotiations. If the Majority continues to dither, we are headed for a year-long continuing resolution. That is a bad outcome for the institution, a bad outcome for the government and a bad outcome for the American people.

When the Majority begins to seriously negotiate on a bipartisan appropriations package, I will certainly be there to help. But neither I, nor many of my colleagues, will participate in kicking the can down the road so my Democratic friends can ignore their responsibility to govern until after the upcoming election.

With that, I urge opposition to this rule.

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