Cole Remarks at Rules Committee Hearing on H.R. 9747, The Continuing and Other Matters Act, 2025 Appropriations

Chairman Burgess, Ranking Member McGovern, and esteemed members of the Rules Committee, it's good to be back.

I'm here to testify on the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025.

As we work the will of the House, responsible governance on behalf of the nation remains the priority. Everyone in this room is well aware Fiscal Year 2024 ends on September 30th. With this looming deadline before us, Congress is responsible to act. We are here today to ensure that the government remains open and serving the American people.

The appropriations process is never easy. It requires time and hard work to complete. This year, we have much to be proud of given the constraints. After a late start due to the delay of the Fiscal Year 2024 process and a late President's Budget Request, the Appropriations Committee succeeded in passing all twelve of our Fiscal Year 2025 bills out of the Committee. The House then passed five of those bills across the floor, representing nearly seventy-one percent of overall discretionary spending.

Despite this strong momentum, time has drawn short. The situation before us is not ideal, but neither is the reality of harmful disruptions to our national security and the vital programs our constituents rely on. That's why a continuing resolution is needed.

Today's bill extends government funding until December 20th. It includes extensions for critical programs that must remain in place, such as WIC, TANF, and the National Flood Insurance Program. It also includes additional resources for the Secret Service to ensure candidates and government leaders are protected, while also ensuring the full cooperation of the Secret Service with congressional investigations.

All in all, today's bill is a narrow and tailored CR that will allow us to continue government operations through the election. This path ensures Americans aren't needlessly punished with a costly shutdown and allows the people - and importantly the next president - to have a say in the appropriations process.

Like most, my preference would be to pass full-year appropriations bills through regular order, but we are out of time. We cannot afford a shutdown, which would be greatly damaging to our national security, to critical government programs, and to the American people.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure.

I thank each of you for your time, and look forward to your questions today.

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