Senate starts shutdown scramble with Cruz vote
Mitch McConnell fires the first volley as GOP leaders try to avert a federal closure.
By Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim - 09/22/15, 11:31 AM EDT - Updated 09/22/15, 05:01 PM EDT
If the government shuts down, Mitch McConnell wants to make sure the Senate isn’t to blame.
After trying to keep his strategy under wraps for days, the Senate majority leader made his first moves on Tuesday to avoid a lapse in federal funding on Oct. 1. But it’s a legislative strategy that still has risks for Republicans and could confront the House GOP with a do-or-die vote right at the deadline to keep the government open.
McConnell set up a Thursday vote that would fund the government through Dec. 11 while gutting federal funding for Planned Parenthood and boosting defense spending by $13 billion — an approach favored by conservatives on the right.
That legislation will fail due to Democratic opposition, allowing McConnell to argue that Senate Republicans tried the hard-line tactic proposed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), but it couldn’t pass. McConnell could then turn to a “clean” funding bill that Democrats have promised to support.
“There’s going to be votes to defund Planned Parenthood. But I think, given the president’s opposition and Democrats’ opposition, at some point, I anticipate there will be a clean (continuing resolution),” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters. “But, that’s not the end of the fight over late-term abortions and over Planned Parenthood.”
But first, McConnell agreed to test Cruz’s approach, touting the benefits of a bill that is at bipartisan spending levels and “would defund Planned Parenthood and protect women’s health by funding community health clinics.” And consistent with the GOP leader’s tight-lipped nature, McConnell refused to confirm that he will then turn to a clean CR when the attack on Planned Parenthood fails later this week.
Let's all chant, "Mitch, Mitch, Son of a ..."
No.
That is too easy.
Make it, "Cruz, Cruz, Son of a ..." Although not rhyming as with Mitch, there's so much truth to such a chant, in light of that blackguard's ways and means and overriding smarminess.