WASHINGTON — Tea party conservative Sen. Ted Cruz Tuesday vowed to speak in opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care law until he’s “no longer able to stand,” even though fellow Republicans urged him to back down from his filibuster
WASHINGTON — Tea party conservative Sen. Ted Cruz Tuesday vowed to speak in opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care law until he’s “no longer able to stand,” even though fellow Republicans urged him to back down from his filibuster for fear of a possible government shutdown in a week.
“This grand experiment is simply not working,” the Texas freshman told a largely empty chamber of the president’s signature domestic issue. “It is time to make D.C. listen.”
Egged on by conservative groups, the potential 2016 presidential candidate excoriated Republicans and Democrats in his criticism of the 3-year-old health care law and Congress’ unwillingness to gut the law. Cruz supports the House-passed bill that would avert a government shutdown and defund Obamacare, as do many Republicans.
However, they lack the votes to stop Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., from moving ahead on the measure, stripping the health care provision and sending the spending bill back to the House.
That didn’t stop Cruz’s quixotic filibuster. Standing on the Senate floor, with conservative Sen. Mike Lee of Utah nearby, Cruz talked about the American revolution, the Washington establishment, his Cuban-born father and the impact of the health care law.
As his talkathon entered its fourth hour, a few senators joined Cruz on the Senate floor, including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, both of whom have been mentioned as possible presidential candidates. Cruz yielded to them for questions but did not give up his time controlling the debate.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the GOP’s No. 2, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, opposed Cruz’s tactic, and numerous Republicans stood with their leadership rather than Cruz. Sen. John Thune, the third-ranking Republican, declined to state his position.
“I think we’d all be hard-pressed to explain why we were opposed to a bill that we’re in favor of,” McConnell told reporters. “And invoking cloture on a bill that defunds Obamacare, it doesn’t raise taxes, and respects the Budget Control Act strikes me as a no-brainer.”
McConnell said the GOP should not speak as long as the rules permit on the legislation, for fear it would give them little time to try to turn the political tables on Democrats or to avoid a possible shutdown.
Delaying tactics could push a final vote into the weekend, just days before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. That would give Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Republicans little time to come up with a new bill.
McConnell told reporters if the House doesn’t get a Senate-passed bill until Monday, lawmakers there would be in a tough spot.
The bill would keep the government operating until Dec. 15 and gut Obamacare.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, said Democrats favor a spending bill that would keep the government running until Nov. 15, which would force Congress to work sooner on a more sweeping piece of legislation — known as an omnibus spending bill — that he hopes would reverse some automatic spending cuts known as sequestration.
Despite Cruz’s effort, a test vote was set for today. Reid had filed a motion to proceed to the measure, and under Senate rules lawmakers will vote even if Cruz speaks for hours and keeps the Senate in session overnight.
