Cole Floor Remarks on H.R. 9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H.R. 9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025.

In a matter of days, funding for Fiscal Year 2024 will run out, and it is Congress's responsibility to ensure that the government remains open and serving the American people. We are here to avert harmful disruptions to our national security and the vital programs our constituents rely on.

Before I discuss the underlying bill, I'd like to note the progress this body has made so far on the appropriations process. 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 - all of which were within the bounds of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which is enshrined in law. The House then passed five of those bills across the floor, representing nearly seventy-one percent of overall discretionary spending.

Despite House Republican's strong momentum, time is drawing short, and our colleagues in the Senate - who have yet to pass a single Fiscal Year 2025 bill across the floor - have not kept pace with the House. It's clear we are unable to complete the full appropriations process by September 30^th. That means that a continuing resolution is needed.

The bill before us is narrow in scope and continues government operations through December 20^th. 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 guaranteeing the full cooperation of the Secret Service with congressional investigations.

Mr. Speaker, governance by continuing resolution is not ideal. 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. Not to mention the enormous cost of government shutdowns.

I commend the Speaker for his efforts to find a path forward. He was dealt a very difficult hand and has delivered once again for the good of the country. 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.

For these reasons, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 9747 today. Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.