Cole Floor Remarks on the Senate Amendments to H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the Senate Amendments to H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027.

Mr. Speaker, today is the first day of September. At this time of year, some people think of fall... Some people, like me, think of football - but on the Appropriations Committee, our focus is on the coming end of the fiscal year. September 30 marks the end of Fiscal Year 2026, and that means both the House and Senate must act to fund the government for the coming fiscal year.

The Constitution entrusts Congress with a solemn duty to fund the government. This is a responsibility I have never viewed as optional – and one I have remained committed to honoring through regular order. I’m extremely pleased that the Appropriations Committee largely fulfilled its responsibilities earlier this year. By the middle of June, the House Appropriations Committee reported out all twelve of our Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bills, the earliest we have done so since Fiscal Year 2020. The full House has also passed three of these bills across the floor. 

I had hoped that the House’s quick action would lead to sending a handful of appropriations measures to the President’s desk before the end of the fiscal year. Unfortunately, time is running short. Though the House acted expeditiously, our colleagues across the Rotunda have not approached this problem with the same sense of urgency. Indeed, the Senate has yet to report a single bill out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, much less across the Senate floor. Like it or not, the Constitution entrusts Congress – both the House and the Senate – with the responsibility of funding the government. And, the fact remains, this House cannot act solely on its own.

So, the hard reality before us is straightforward – the fiscal year deadline is outpacing the work that remains. Recognizing that this was a possibility, in July the House proactively passed H.R. 9770, a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 4. 

I’m glad to say the example we set helped pave the way for action in the other chamber. The Senate built on our plan, and before leaving for recess, our colleagues passed an amended version of that bill. We now have an opportunity to take this measure up and send it to the President for his approval.

This clean, short-term continuing resolution simply keeps the government open, protects the progress we've made, and preserves the path to full-year appropriations. If enacted, the bill before us today will fund the government through December 11. This will allow Congress time to get past the November elections, and allow us time to assess and move forward with further appropriations measures in November and December. 

Let me be very clear about what this bill does and does not do:

• The bill funds the government and keeps it open through December 11, ensuring that our constituents will continue to get the services they need.
• The bill protects our national security, providing funding for our armed forces and security agencies, as well as crucial authorities for core research and development programs to ensure our military remains the best-armed and equipped services in the world.
• The bill contains no poison pills and no partisan riders - doesn't mean I agree with everything in it, but the time to act is now.
• The bill has support from the White House.
• And notably, the bill preserves the House’s progress – and the ability to pass full-year funding bills after the November elections.

Over and over, I hear from my constituents that they want Congress to work together and to do the right thing for the American people. That is precisely what we will be doing in taking up today’s bill. The bill before us is a clean, narrowly tailored continuing resolution that keeps the government open and operating, nothing more and nothing less. 

It gives the nation, and our constituents, certainty: 

• certainty that the government will remain open, 
• certainty that our servicemembers will be paid, 
• certainty that the TSA will remain operating, 
• certainty that Social Security checks will go out on time, 
• certainty that homebuyers will be able to secure mortgages, 
• certainty that the nation will be protected from foreign threats,
• certainty that Americans will be able to access nutrition assistance and disaster relief,
• certainty that roads will be repaired and critical infrastructure projects will continue, 
• and certainty that our elections will be secure.

The choice is clear. 

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for this responsible measure, and I look forward to continuing the FY 2027 appropriations process in the coming months.

Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.