Smoke and Strategy: Cole’s House Spending Breakthrough

From a smoke-filled room off the House floor nicknamed the “Cigar SCIF,” Rep. Tom Cole steered a $1.6 trillion government funding package through the House by leaning on old‑school, relationship‑driven diplomacy rather than sweeping new cuts. Facing hard‑liner pressure and a lingering DHS funding fight, he kept totals steady, empowered subcommittee chairmen, and secured buy‑in from leadership and bipartisan partners (Collins, DeLauro, Murray), earning grudging respect for reviving a traditional, bill-by-bill process. Eleven of the 12 annual appropriations bills have been signed into law so far, with DHS still unresolved, marking a rare political win in a tense moment while averting another shutdown.