Posted on 03/12/2017 1:53:28 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Sen. Ted Cruz’s unyielding opposition to the Affordable Care Act and his willingness to publicly take the fight to fellow Republicans helped cause a brief government shutdown four years ago. But now, with a Republican in the White House and repeal legislation working its way through Congress, the Texas Republican is keeping a low profile, putting his head down and working back rooms to influence the legislation.
Cruz has expressed serious concerns about the bill, the American Health Care Act, released by House Republicans this week and approved by two committees Thursday. His fellow Senate conservatives Rand Paul and Mike Lee have railed against it publicly – Paul dubbed it “Obamacare Lite” and Lee said it was a “step in the wrong direction.” The two joined members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus at a press conference Tuesday to amplify their opposition.
But while Cruz shares the same concerns, he was absent from that press conference, and has not been nearly as vocal in his criticism as his House or Senate colleagues. When a reporter asked if he agreed with the “Obamacare Lite” label, Cruz responded: “I’m not interested in labels; I’m interested in substance.”
He has said he doesn’t believe the bill as written in the House can pass the Senate, but insisted he’s working to push it in a more conservative direction.
“I’m working hard to have these conversations with leaders in both houses and the administration rather than to litigate every one of these details in public,” Cruz told reporters Thursday after a meeting with a handful of GOP senators in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. “I am hopeful we can get the job done, and that is my objective."
It’s a notable departure from the Cruz of the Obama administration....
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
If this makes it to Trump’s desk, I’m afraid he’ll sign it.
Cruz is doing the right thing.
Rand Paul and Mike Lee are following the Lindsey Graham playbook on media whoring. They just want facetime on CNN.
I’m still waiting for Paul and Lee to refute the Paul Ryan powerpoint presentation. I don’t like Ryan but it seemed rock solid.
The issue seems to be the difference between states that chose to expand medicaid and those that did not. Had we not had that carrot held out by Obama, it would have been an easy repeal, but there are a few millions, who have been given something, and the Congress recognizes what could happen if it is yanked away. All this despite the fact that the issue was purely democrat in the beginning, and now we face the music while the democrats wait to pounce on the issue as soon as the dotted line is signed.
Compromise at your peril.
...and there should have been a reference in my post about total repeal vs the bipartisan bill before the Congress.
I still don’t find “provide for medical care” in any reading of the “general welfare” clause.... Unconstitutional laws are void, whether passed by left or left-light congresses.
“welfare” is a state of being, not a government program.
I am all for doing it in steps, with the first being reconciliation. Unlike times in the past I also trust that this will NOT be the end of the process in the elimination of Obama-don’t-care, aka the UNaffordable healthcare act.
“...I don’t like Ryan but it seemed rock solid.”
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What you see in Ryan’s monstrosity is solid human excrement. If this “masterpiece” put together by Ryan’s lobbyist donors becomes law it will be the anchor that sinks Republican electoral prospects in 2018 & 2020. Its primary beneficiaries will be the insurance companies & almost no one else.
The ‘RATS are fantasizing about how they will be able to campaign by saying they voted against this monster about to be born and that the Republicans own all the health care problems.
Senator Cruz is fighting to repeal it like he campaigned for.
He will fight the establishment and the WH if need be get the Obamacare nightmare repealed and hopefully something that has the FERAL Government out of the healthcare business.
Trump is a world class cat herder. But cat herding takes a little time.
Mixed feelings with what big long-term plans may be with Trump's "lip service praise" of those "working so hard" and Pence's appearance in KY yesterday.
Will have to see how it all pans out.
It’s very Christian for Trump to be helping out Cruz, seeing how Cruz’s disapproval rating in Texas is now higher than his approval rating. We can all hope Cruz straightens up.
https://news.utexas.edu/2017/02/23/gov-abbott-receives-top-job-approval-ratings-in-texas
Seems to me there is a dynamic with Cruz, Lee, Paul and Trump that we are not getting a clear picture of. Cruz meeting with Trump twice, Lee and Paul doing the public thing. Cruz who d the scenes. Just pray that this is more of Trump’s 3D chess.
Cruz is Trump’s man in Congress (house and senate). He is obviously working directly with Trump on this.
Trump is working this “deal”. It has to pass BOTH houses of Congress. NO DEAL is unacceptable. I don’t think it will end up a “bad” deal, but it likely won’t make everyone happy.
The “Art of the Deal”. Let Trump work his magic. Did you think this was going to be “EASY? Think again.
TRUST TRUMP. I do, completely. (until I don’t)
Repeal the G D Thing. Let the free market take care of it.
The bill contains provisions to bail out the insurance companies if they lose money. You don’t think someone bribed our elected officials do you?
I think this is why Trump has been constantly sunny about the bill. His dinners with Cruz, and his discussions with Paul make me think he believes it will be easier to have the Senate change the bill than the House.
I have no problem with negotiating.
President Trump needs to end all ‘faith based charity’ funding, if he really wants to get a handle on lying Ryan's means and methods of spending our tax dollars.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/24/catholic-church-collects-16-billion-in-us-contract/
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