Ted Cruz Will Block The Very Bill He Asked The House To Pass

Texas Senator Ted Cruz confirmed today that he would attempt to block the Senate from considering the very bill he asked the House of Representatives to pass just last week:

Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday reiterated his commitment to blocking a procedural Senate vote on a House-approved spending bill, saying that Senate Democrats would have too much leeway to add in funding for Obamacare.

“Any vote for cloture, any vote to allow Harry Reid to add funding to Obamacare with just a 51-vote threshold, a vote for cloture is a vote for Obamacare,” the Texas Republican said on “Fox News Sunday.” “And I think Senate Republicans are going to stand side-by-side with Speaker [John] Boehner and House Republicans, listening to the people and stopping this train wreck that is Obamacare.”

So prepare for a week of Cruz making his fellow Republicans look ridiculous.

FILED UNDER: Congress, Deficit and Debt, Healthcare Policy, US Politics, , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Mark Ivey says:

    GOP on Cruz control LoL

  2. Argon says:

    For a freshman senator he sure has a lot of power to make the GOP establishment look ridiculous. In former days he would have been taken aside and had things pointedly explained to him about how things work.

    I guess the Republican party has opted for the ‘saviour of the month’ approach to government instead, embracing cray-cray miracle thinking instead reality-based governance.

  3. jukeboxgrad says:

    Cruz control

    Karnival Kruz

  4. legion says:

    So prepare for a week of Cruz making his fellow Republicans look ridiculous.

    And this week would be different from any other moment of Cruz’ Senate career how exactly? Except perhaps for those weeks when his fellow Texan, Louie Gohmert, outshines him in disgrace and incompetence, perhaps…

  5. JoshB says:

    Dear Texas voters: THANK YOU! love, Democrats everywhere.

  6. Rick Almeida says:

    @Argon:

    I think it’s because McConnell is powerless. With a strong primary challenger from his right and the threat of same for most other Republican senators, there’s no proverbial Dutch uncle in the room.

  7. al-Ameda says:

    I take Ted seriously, he’s a true believer – those type of guys live to see blood on the floor.

    The de facto leaders of the Republican Party are Ted Cruz in the Senate, and Eric Cantor in the House. I wish I could be optimistic for the future of the country, but I am not. People like Cruz and Cantor are doing their best to ensure that our government does not function.

  8. jukeboxgrad says:

    The de facto leaders of the Republican Party

    Don’t forget Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and Jim DeMint.

  9. Moosebreath says:

    “So prepare for a week of Cruz making his fellow Republicans look ridiculous.”

    He’s at least 10 years too late.

  10. Gustopher says:

    How will Rand Paul out crazy Ted Cruz?

    So, I understand that the basic point of Republican primaries is to find the candidate who pisses off liberals the most, rather than anyone who might be able to govern, but lately they’ve started finding people who are a complete laughing stock.

    I think the next big Republican hero will have to be pure performance art, putting on a ridiculous act for six years in the senate. For some reason, I’m thinking of Samual L. Jackson’s role in “The Spirit” — dressed like a nazi, spouting bad egg puns, and dissolving kittens.

  11. KM says:

    I must say that the level of cognitive dissonance required to support Ted Cruz at this point is absolutely staggering. This man is blatantly out for himself, talks out both sides of his mouth, and sends others to fall on his sword for him. I don’t blame the Republicans for being pissed at being tossed under the bus. I do, however, blame them for letting him get to a place where he can do that with impunity. Man needs to be taken out back behind the woodshed, if you know what I mean.

    The only ray of hope at this point is maybe enough cons start to wake up and realize that people who claim to fight the good fight are really just lining their pockets. May this be a come to Jesus moment for enough of the base and we might start to see some rationality again. Then again, I’m an optimist…..

  12. Tony W says:

    @Gustopher:

    I think the next big Republican hero will have to be pure performance art, putting on a ridiculous act for six years in the senate.

    sadly I do not think Stephen Colbert is available…

  13. mantis says:

    @Tony W:

    sadly I do not think Stephen Colbert is available…

    Yes he is! And willing!