Cole Remarks at Hearing on Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform

I want to welcome everybody to today’s Full Committee hearing, entitled “Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform.” While having all members in the room usually denotes a markup, I am pleased to remind everyone that we reported out all 12 Fiscal Year 2027 bills before the end of June. It doesn’t mean our work is complete, but it does create space for a needed conversation.

We all know the adage: “The first step toward fixing a problem is admitting you have one.” I’d say the two longest government shutdowns in American history being instigated by Senator Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats within the last year is a strong indication that the people of this great nation – and this institution – deserve better.

I, for one, refuse to allow funding lapses to become an accepted norm in the appropriations process. The reasons are simple:

• Article I is not simply a talking point or a slogan – it is a constitutional duty. 
• Article I is not merely a chamber tradition – it is an obligation the Framers entrusted specifically to Congress.
• And Article I is not a process we can exercise only when it is politically convenient – it is a charge we must uphold.

The power of the purse carries with it the mandate to fund the government in a timely, orderly, and reliable manner. And while it is the duty of both republicans and democrats to advocate and debate specific levels of funding, priorities, and oversight of federal programs – the tactic of plunging the country into a needless, manufactured shutdown for the sake of partisan leverage betrays the responsibility we owe to the American people.

There are a number of legislative ideas and approaches designed to prevent – or at least mitigate – the consequences of future funding lapses. Today, we have the opportunity to discuss some of those proposals. Notably, we are also doing this before the Full Committee, giving all our Appropriators on both sides of the aisle a forum to examine these concepts in an open setting. I sincerely thank our witnesses for taking the time to be here. I appreciate my good friend and fellow Oklahoman, Senator James Lankford, for making the trip across the Capitol, along with Representative Tom McClintock, and former OMB Director Shalanda Young, for lending their perspectives and expertise to today’s discussion. And before I give a quick reminder on decorum and procedures for the hearing, I wanted to close with a reflection on this committee and the work we do. Nothing can replace the stability, certainty, and accountability that come from enacting full-year appropriations. That's because Article I isn't just a procedural exercise. It's the mechanism that ensures every member has a voice, every bill has the opportunity to be debated, and every taxpayer can see how their government is funded.

When Congress abandons that system, decision-making becomes more centralized, rank-and-file members have less influence, and closed-door negotiations tend to replace committee work. Those conditions make funding crises more likely and more difficult to resolve. So, while we may have differing views on the reforms discussed today, I hope we can all agree on one fundamental principle: government shutdowns are reckless, and they do nothing but create chaos and uncertainty.

There is never a circumstance where a shutdown is preferable to keeping the government open and working. Americans deserve a Congress that resolves its disagreements through deliberation – not disruption.