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The lashing humbled Cruz, who began to take a quieter role in the intervening days. But he continued to push forward on strategy that Republicans had essentially left for dead. At one point, Cruz told GOP senators that they should force votes on bills to fund individual agencies and programs, like on veterans issues. But McConnell bluntly told Cruz that Republicans had no procedural way of doing that. In fact, he asked Laura Dove, McConnell’s chief floor expert, to explain to Cruz how Republicans were prohibited from taking such a parliamentary tactic.

A genius he is not. Even I knew that tactic was prohibited by Senate rules. You would think he could read the rules of the place that pays him $174,000 a year (even during a shutdown).

United States Senate Rules and Procedures