Tom Cole

Rule Changes

Republican from Oklahoma; backed the stopgap

President Trump signed the stopgap spending bill on September 2, funding the government through December 11. The House had passed it 370-48 the day before; the Senate had approved it in August.

Updated Sep 4

Rule Changes

Led House passage of FY2026 appropriations bills

For 80 years, federal science funding enjoyed bipartisan protection. Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposed ending that consensus, calling for cuts of 57% to the National Science Foundation (NSF), 47% to NASA's science programs, and 40% to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Updated May 23

Rule Changes

Completed House passage of FY2026 appropriations; 11 of 12 bills now law

Congress hasn't completed all twelve annual spending bills on time since 1996. Fiscal Year 2026 saw a 43-day shutdown from October to November 2025, the longest in U.S. history, that furloughed 900,000 workers and cost $15 billion weekly.

Updated May 22

Money Moves

Completed House passage of all twelve FY2026 appropriations bills; awaiting Senate action

The House passed H.R. 7148 on February 3 by a narrow 217-214 vote, ending a brief weekend partial shutdown and funding Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, State, and Financial Services through September 30, 2026. DHS funding lapsed February 13 after talks over immigration enforcement reforms collapsed, triggering a second partial shutdown covering only DHS agencies: TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA.

Updated May 20