'They should learn!' GOP rep admits his party made a 'big mistake' with last shutdown

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) admitted his party made a big "mistake" during previous government shutdowns during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday.

The government shutdown began on Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to compromise on a bill to temporarily fund the government through the end of the year. Republicans blamed Democrats for trying to add partisan language to the bill, called a continuing resolution, while Democrats accused Republicans of not negotiating. It is unclear how long the shutdown will last as negotiations remain ongoing.

Cole told Tapper that Republicans ended up paying a political price the last time the government shut down in 2018.

"It was a big mistake, and they should learn from how it worked out for us," Cole said of Democrats. "Look, I've never been in favor of government shutdowns. I don't think they work. They never achieve the objective, and they create a lot of chaos and a lot of ill will. And I'm afraid that's what's happening now."

He also added that he's "proud" of the work the House of Representatives has done to complete the appropriations process. There are 12 parts of the process that must be completed before the fiscal year starts in September.

Tapper asked if Cole thinks he shares in any responsibility for the process being incomplete ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline on Tuesday.

"We all share the blame," Cole said. "But the reality is, Congress was focused very heavily on the centerpiece of the President's agenda, the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.'"