Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:44 pm
After his latest attempt to trigger a government shutdown and defund Planned Parenthood failed, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) threw a tantrum on the Senate floor and trashed John Boehner.
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During his nearly hour-long campaign speech on the Senate floor, Cruz came up with some wild conspiracy theories including the idea that John Boehner has surrendered and joined with the Democratic Party to carry out President Obama’s priorities.
Cruz said:
But in the House, we’ve still got that 30, 40, 50 strong conservatives, so how is it that Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell could promise there will never, ever be a shutdown? Because, I believe, Speaker Boehner has decided to cut a deal with Leader Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democrats, that this dirty CR that’s going to be passed out of the Senate is going to go to the House, and the speaker is going to take it up on the floor, pass it with all the Democrats, just like Leader McConnell just did, and a handful of Republicans who will go with Republican leadership. A very significant percentage of Republicans will vote “No.” But here is the problem. Speaker Boehner’s done that more than once, and in this instance there were too many Republicans who were tired of seeing their leadership lead the Democrats, rather than lead the Republican party.
I believe if Speaker Boehner had done that, had passed a dirty CR funding Planned Parenthood, funding this Iranian nuclear deal, that he would have lost his speakership. A member of the House had introduced a motion to vacate the chair because House Republicans were fed up with their leader not leading, at least not leading their party, leading the Democratic Party.
So, Speak Boehner faced a conundrum. If he does what he and Leader McConnell promised, which is fund all of Barack Obama’s priorities, he would have lost his job. So what did he do? He announced he’s resigning as speaker and resigning as a member of Congress.
That is unsurprising, but it also telegraphs the deal he’s just cut. It’s a deal to surrender and join with the Democrats. Notice he said he’s going to stay a month. He’s going to stay a month to join with the Democrats and fund Barack Obama’s priorities.
Cruz’s little fit came a day after Boehner called the Senator from Texas a false prophet who promises things that he knows can’t be accomplished.
Both Cruz and Rand Paul were looking to use a government shutdown to boost their dead and dying presidential campaigns. Cruz and Paul have been buried by Trump, Carson, and Fiorina. Their campaigns have flatlined, and each of them desperately needed the publicity that would have come with a government shutdown.
Ted Cruz lost today because he could not get enough support in the Senate for a roll call vote on an amendment that would have put in place one year ban on federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
The Republican Party is coming apart at the seams, and Democrats have a front row seat for the GOP’s spectacle of self-destruction.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
