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Representative Tom Cole’s warning on Newsmax’s Wake Up America was as clear as it was furious: Senate Democrats are holding the American people hostage by prolonging a needless government shutdown. Cole — who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and has repeatedly pushed for a clean continuing resolution to keep services and paychecks flowing — said the longer this lasts the deeper the damage to everyday Americans.
This shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, is not an abstract Washington fight; it has real consequences for real families and the men and women who keep this country safe. Vital operations have been interrupted and paychecks for military and federal employees have been halted, leaving those who serve our country in financial limbo. Journalists and watchdogs are now reporting administration guidance and court interpretations that could further complicate the promise of back pay.
To make matters worse, the White House Office of Management and Budget has raised the alarming possibility that furloughed workers might not be automatically guaranteed retroactive payment, a departure from long-standing expectations that only injects more uncertainty into Americans’ lives. That memo and its interpretation have provoked outrage across the political spectrum because it weaponizes a shutdown against the very people who keep government running. Conservatives should demand consistency: either we govern responsibly or we stop pretending martyrdom for political theater is governance.
House Republicans, led by Cole, did the responsible thing and passed a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open and military pay flowing, but the Senate — led by Democrats — has repeatedly declined to act. The record shows Republicans offered a straightforward path forward without poison pills, yet Democrats voted to reject measures that would have spared Americans this chaos. These are not the actions of a party putting country over caucus; they are the actions of political posturing at the expense of hardworking citizens.
Congressman Cole was right to spell out the local damage: from Tinker Air Force Base and Fort Sill to critical FAA training and the National Weather Center, Oklahoma communities face furloughs, halted grants, and disrupted services that put lives and livelihoods at risk. Rural hospitals, flood insurance during hurricane season, and nutrition support for struggling moms and children are all collateral damage when Washington plays political games. Americans deserved better leadership from their elected Democrats in the Senate instead of this theatrical brinkmanship.
It’s time for Democrats to release their hold on the country and let the government reopen so families, service members, and communities can get back to normal. Conservatives will keep calling out this hostage-taking for what it is and demand that leaders put people above politics — and voters should remember who chose chaos over compromise when the bills come due. The American people deserve functioning government, respect for the troops, and leaders who prioritize the country over partisan theatrics.
