Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) CREDIT: Getty Images PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma — Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) gave a powerful rebuke to those in his party calling for a government shutdown at a town hall on Friday, defending the vital role that public employees play in society. Even in a room full of conservative constituents who wanted the congressman to defund Obamacare at all costs in the upcoming funding fight, including shutting down the government, Cole stood firm.