GOP sweats Freedom Caucus' potential to shut down the government

Republican lawmakers are warning their colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus to not even think about leveraging next month’s funding deadline to threaten a government shutdown to win legislative priorities from GOP leaders.

“They have to work with somebody to keep the government open,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said about the roughly 30 conservatives who make up the caucus. “Shutting down the government when it’s a Republican government and a Republican Congress is not an option.”