How Senate GOP Leadership Stymied Ted Cruz
Days after Sen. Ted Cruz criticized Republican leadership for surrendering to President Barack Obama, those GOP leaders exacted their revenge on Cruz.
As the Senate voted Monday on a continuing resolution with taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, Cruz attempted to offer an amendment ending all federal funding for America’s largest abortion provider. The amendment also cut off money to implement the Iran nuclear deal.
But in a departure from Senate custom, a quartet of Republican leaders blocked the Texas senator from even getting a vote on his amendment. Only one senator, Mike Lee of Utah, stood with Cruz on the Senate floor.
The four Republican leaders included Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Whip John Cornyn, and Sens. Thad Cochran and Lamar Alexander, chairmen of the Appropriations Committee and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, respectively. They loudly voted against bringing Cruz’s amendment to the floor.
After Cruz was stymied, the Senate proceeded to vote on a motion, 77-19, to advance the government spending bill, which funds federal operations through Dec. 11.
Planned Parenthood, which performs an abortion every 90 seconds on average, is embroiled in a scandal stemming from a series of undercover videos. Those videos have prompted federal and state investigations into Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the alleged sale of aborted baby body parts.
Last week, Cruz told The Daily Signal that congressional Republicans were failing in their quest to end taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood because GOP leadership signaled its unwillingness to challenge Obama on the issue.
Continue reading…
