During an interview on ABC’s This Week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refused to help Ted Cruz settle his citizenship issue by passing a bill that would declare that Sen. Cruz is a natural born citizen.
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Transcript via ABC’s This Week:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Back in 2008, there was bipartisan legislation passed unanimously in the Senate declaring that Senator John McCain, who was a natural-born citizen, even though he was born in a territory, I know you don’t like to get in the middle of a 2016 campaign, but there have been questions raised about Ted Cruz’s eligibility to be president.
Will the Senate pass legislation saying that he is also a natural-born citizen?
MCCONNELL: Well, you’re right. I’ve made a point of staying out of the presidential race. These guys are all running their races as hard as they can and —
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: — responsibility —
MCCONNELL: — to the — I don’t think the Senate ought to get in the middle of it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Even though they did in 2008?
MCCONNELL: I just don’t think the Senate ought to get into the middle of this. These guys are all slugging it out in Iowa and New Hampshire. We’ll have a nominee hopefully by sometime in the spring.
Calling the Majority Leader a liar on the Senate floor might not have been such a great idea now that Sen. Cruz could use a big favor. There is no reason for Sen. McConnell not to have the Senate pass the same bill that was passed for McCain in 2008, besides the fact that his Senate colleagues can’t stand Ted Cruz.
Cruz has nuked every bridge with his co-workers since he arrived in the Senate with the singular goal of elevating himself and getting to the White House. Democrats have made it clear that they are not going to lift a finger to help Cruz as he faces the full wrath of some of the same crowd that came after President Obama in 2008.
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
