As the federal government shutdown entered its eighth day, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) called on Senate Democrats to end the stalemate and allow negotiations on appropriations bills to continue. Speaking in Washington, D.C., Cole joined other House leaders in urging Democrats to support a continuing resolution that would reopen federal agencies and let Congress proceed with work on full-year funding measures.
Cole highlighted the progress made by the Appropriations Committee before the shutdown began. "We've had a pretty decent year in the House Appropriations Committee. All 12 bills [passed] out of committee before September 30, three that we are in negotiations on with the Democrats. Those negotiations have gone very well. We're prepared pretty quickly to close once the government's reopened. We could get at least three bills [signed into law]. The President could sign them, and those things would be immune from the shutdown until the following September 30. Then we'd pick another group of three or four bills, and then we would do in cooperation with our Democratic colleagues, and start working on that. So the process was moving along pretty well. And then we had unrelated demands... It's hard to do much [on full appropriations bills] when the negotiations aren't happening, simply because the government is shut down. So again, we're prepared to work," he said.
Cole also noted bipartisan support for ending the shutdown: "It's worth pointing out that a majority of the Senate is already on our side, a bipartisan majority of 55. So, this really does get down to Leader Schumer and the bulk of his caucus simply shutting down the government over items unrelated to what we normally do in Appropriations."
He expressed optimism about resuming legislative activity once the government reopens. "When [Senate Democrats] make the mind that they want the government up and running, believe me, we'll move very quickly, and we'll try to move quickly from a CR status to passing bills individually or in small groups, and get [the federal workforce] up and working again, get the government restored and continue that process as we're supposed to do," Cole said.
Cole stressed that restoring normal operations would ensure payment for troops, federal law enforcement personnel, air traffic controllers, and allow access to services like telehealth for seniors and Medicare patients. It would also enable furloughed employees to return to work and resume processing small business loans, flood insurance policies, and nutrition assistance for women and children.
He concluded that resolving the shutdown depends on action by just five Senate Democrats.
