WASHINGTON – House Republicans passed on Tuesday a stopgap spending bill in a significant win for the GOP majority but more importantly for Oklahoma’s Congressman Tom Cole, who challenged the Freedom Caucus to vote yes.
The bill is a major victory for House Republicans—especially for Cole (R, Moore) the appropriations chair who told the GOP’s caucus that “funding the federal government is our constitutional obligation.”
Cole was the primary sponsor of the bill and has been working since the passage of December’s stopgap bill to draft the resolution. The passage of this stopgap measure funds the government through Sept. 30.
“The choice before us was simple: you either support keeping the government open and working for the American people — or you want a reckless government shutdown,” Cole said.
Included in the bill is an increase in pay for Junior Enlisted Officers in the Military, cuts to the IRS, and an extension of current Medicaid requirements until 2028.
However, Democratic concern came from a language choice in the bill regarding Medicaid and Social Security—protecting it from “disruptions” not explicit “cuts.”
During the floor debate, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OKC) said, “Just because you keep repeating the same dishonest talking points doesn’t make it true.”
Bice additionally encouraged the passage of the bill due to the additional pressure that a government shutdown would put on the state of Oklahoma, saying that keeping the government open is essential to continuing an “America First” agenda.
“With no poison pills or unrelated riders, the bill is a straightforward extension of funding and certainty for the nation,” Cole said.
The lack of riders and additional earmarks was a goal of Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-LA) who repeatedly said throughout the process of drafting that he wanted a “clean” bill.
Cole threw the proverbial gavel down Tuesday morning, urging Freedom Caucus members to vote “yes” on the resolution out of a constitutional obligation. Virtually all caucus members voted for the CR, after a meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance Tuesday morning. Only Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Kentucky), continued to vote no. Only one Democrat, Jared Golden (D-Maine) crossed over to the Republican side.
The resolution is now off to the Senate, which has until midnight Friday to adopt the resolution which will need seven Democrats to create a 60-vote supermajority.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin was moved to the Senate appropriations committee earlier this session, creating a trifecta of Oklahomans: Mullin, Cole and Bice all serving on appropriations committees.
Mullin said in a video posted to his social media accounts, “We will do our part, Republicans will do our part.” In the same video, Mullin implied that any impending government shutdown would fall on the shoulders of Democrats and specifically Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Cole said in a statement: “We asked for Democrats to join us at the table. Instead, they sat at the joint address, sat on the sidelines, and sat in their general contempt for President Trump It is ironic that by rejecting all the priorities this stopgap put forward, they are showing exactly where they do stand.”
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
