Inside the ‘Cigar SCIF:' How Tom Cole pulled off a House appropriations miracle

Politico.com - For more and to sign up click here The crucial votes to fund the government last week were brokered in Speaker Mike Johnson's ceremonial office just off the House floor. But the groundwork to get the $1.6 trillion spending package through the chamber was laid in a literal smoke-filled room just steps away. That would be the domain of Rep. Tom Cole, the 76-year-old cigar-and-whiskey-loving chair of…