Posted on 10/16/2013 9:58:14 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Sens. Cruz, Lee say they won't block deal By Mike Lillis - 10/16/13 12:38 PM ET
Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee said Wednesday that they won't try to block the bipartisan deal to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling.
"The timing of the vote will make no difference to the outcome," Cruz (R-Texas) said. "I have no intention of delaying the vote."
Cruz and Lee (R-Utah) had spearheaded the campaign to attach ObamaCare language to any new budget bills, and had pushed their colleagues to take a hard-line stance.
But the pair emerged from a meeting of Senate Republicans Wednesday afternoon to say they would let the agreement — which contains only one provision on ObamaCare — move forward.
"Some of us want to see it first — we still don't have text," Lee said. "But provided we get the text and have time t review it and everything, I suspect we'll collapse the time."
There has been speculation that the bipartisan deal might originate in the House, thereby eliminating some procedural hurdles when the bill moved to the Senate. But with Cruz and Lee withdrawing their filibuster threats, several GOP senators said the upper chamber will likely act first on the agreement.
The deal reached by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would fund the government through Jan. 15 and raise the debt-ceiling until February. It would require income verification for subsidies under ObamaCare, but otherwise leave the helathcare law untouched.
The weeks-long fight over ObamaCare has left the GOP sharply divided and licking its wounds, after centrist Republicans warned for weeks that the battle was futile and damaging to the party.
Several Republicans left the meeting Wednesday grumbling that the conservatives in their ranks had prolonged the impasse even as Republicans were sinking in the polls.
"We left a lot on the table because we couldn't get our act together, but this is the best Mitch could do," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who will vote for the deal. "We need to stop the bleeding, lessen the damage to the party."
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) echoed that message.
"I hope it is another 15 years at least before we have to go through this exercise again," McCain said. "We're in a hole, we have to dig out and come up with a positive agenda."
Dear Juan McLame... what compromise? What did the Dems surrender on the table?
Cruz will be off stage for a while now. It’ll be all Obamacare all the time. Reid will be screaming for Cruz & Lee to get back in.
They’ll be busy working for us. No time for silliness.
Ted Cruz Ping!
If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!
/johnny
yes that’s a good thing , also for others in power
“Even cruz believes the media when the media say there is a crisis.”
Are you high??? Cruz is a brilliant constitutional lawyer and you believe he was mislead by the media??
That there is funny!
Hey Cruz bashers, pay attention, the fun is just beginning!
I’m calling after I finish my coffee. Two great men worth a hell of a lot more than the FR concern troll squad
Wow, you change with the wind. Just < 12 hours ago:
Amazing how *some* get so offended by reality.
Boehner's Shutdown End-game play (you won't like it) SOL of course | 10/15/2013 | sickoflibs
“Not very close. The extensions are for January and February. The dems didn’t get much. We get to do this again then.”
Quit making so much sense and start acting irrationally. You’ll feel better :-).
We have been betrayed one more time. Why elect Republicans?
I’m not a cruz basher . i praised him for his filibuster.
he should have filibustered again now to pass the stupid debt limit increase deadline at 12 which would expose the media lies as nothing would have happened much less the global
i just posted on comment you moron and you call me a basher. i praised him a lot on here , twitter ,email.
I’m hoping these two libtards who are trolling FR get booted soon.
It's not one and done. This is an ongoing thing. We still have momentum in the conservative base.
/johnny
Just impeach Obama now and make sure he is gone.
would you mellow out on Cruz people?
All he said was that if the vote happens today or tomorrow it wont make a difference so he will not delay it.
Boner is going to allow a vote on something the DEMOCRATS want. (ignoring the ‘Hastert rule’)- in a republican-controlled house he will let the democrat minority overrule the majority
This is ALL BONER’s fault and nothing to do with Cruz
Worse, they're only able to get away with it because over 150 million of us have the capacity of a 5 year old. No offense to 5 year olds. We are a nation of sheep.
Ted will be fully vindicated by the time obamacare finishes rolling out. Open enrollment at most companies has barely begun. Wait until people start finding out their employers are kicking them onto the exchange or they switch to a new plan that doesn’t have their doctor on it. Wait until they see their new premiums and deductibles. Wait until the Medicare Advantage patients start losing their supplemental coverage. Oh, and those 20-somethings? Do you really think they’re going to sign up? Heck, that $300-$400 per month is a student loan or car payment. Besides, they can stay on mom and dad’s plan for a while. If dems think their rat constituents are not going to be affected by this, they are truly delusional.
I'm doing my part (see a few posts prior) to -- hopefully -- ensure that Free Republic remains a site for Conservative activism. As Jim has pointed out time and time again, this is NOT a liberal debating society.
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