‘Model’ appropriators are getting the job done despite stark party division

Published January 16, 2026 7:00am ET



The House Appropriations Committee has been working overtime since the record government shutdown last year, displaying the type of “functionality” Congress often struggles to achieve in an era of stark partisan divides.

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) have long been known on Capitol Hill for their pleasant working relationship and optimism in the government funding process.

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