Cole Supports Full-Year Funding and Coronavirus Relief

Statement

Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the United States Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The legislative package passed yesterday provides full-year funding for the annual operations across the entirety of the federal government as well as $900 billion of coronavirus pandemic relief. Cole supported the legislation.

"Although I wish Congress had acted sooner, I am grateful that lawmakers ultimately fulfilled one of their most fundamental responsibilities by passing legislation to fully fund the government for fiscal year 2021 and also deliver desperately needed and long-awaited pandemic aid," said Cole. "While the resulting bill is massive and far from perfect, at the end of the day, it reflects the priorities and best interests of the American people for the months to come. Moreover, it prevents the added pain of a government shutdown amid the ongoing hardships our country and people have faced this year.

"In completing the annual appropriations for the whole of government, I am encouraged by the increased funding devoted to the National Institutes of Health to further support vital biomedical research and pandemic preparedness, which must remain at the forefront for years to come. I am also proud that it provides the funding and resources for our nation's defense to tackle the evolving challenges of our day.

"After months of needless stalling by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats, I am relieved that targeted coronavirus relief will finally be able to make its way to Americans struggling because of the pandemic. This includes finally extending the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses keep their employees on the payroll, renewing unemployment insurance for unemployed workers and providing a second round of economic impact payments to most Americans. And rightly so, the coronavirus aid supports vaccine distribution as more start to become available."

Cole also made remarks during consideration of the rule for the legislation on the House floor yesterday. Video is available here and transcript here.

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