Republicans are furious with Ted Cruz (R-TX) when a stunt designed to block President Obama’s immigration actions backfired, opening the door for Harry Reid (D-NV) to push through numerous Obama nominations.
Lawmakers from both parties were in the final stages of hammering out an informal bipartisan agreement on a $1.1 trillion spending measure that would give the Senate the weekend off. However, citing immigration, Cruz tried to challenge the bill late Friday night, allowing Reid to call an all-day Senate session that he devoted almost exclusively to work on the confirmation of “as many as nine judicial appointees and an unknown number of nominees to administration posts,” according to Yahoo News.
As NBC reports, the Senate was able to work on literally dozens of “procedural votes for presidential nominees, many of which are controversial such as the nominees for Surgeon General, the head of Social Security Administration, and the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), all of which have objections from Republicans.”
Several Republicans are criticizing the move by Cruz that ultimately led to Reid being able to finish work on the nominees.
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) likened Cruz’s actions to his role in the 16-day government shutdown last year, stating: “I’ve seen this movie before, and I wouldn’t pay money to see it again.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told reporters: “Suffice it to say I’m not happy with the strategy [Cruz] has come up with, I think it’s totally counterproductive,” adding “This reminds me very much of the shutdown last year where the strategy made absolutely no sense and was counterproductive, and I believe we’re in the same kind of situation today.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said, “I wish you hadn’t pointed that out,” when asked if Cruz had created an opening for the Democrats, adding “You should have an end goal in sight if you’re going to do these types of things and I don’t see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people.”
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said “I was in the House for 14 years, and I’m not opposed to lonely tactics, but if you’re achieving something, that’s the test, and I don’t see what we’re achieving here. I just don’t.”
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said “The other concern I have here now is the nominations that are going to get through that otherwise wouldn’t.”
As NBC notes, the weekend’s events in the Senate call into serous question the ability of the upcoming 114th Congress to function, considering that Cruz “went against an agreement” by Senators Reid and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “to take the weekend off” and to hold off the vote on the $1.1 trillion funding bill until Monday.
“I think the Republican caucus is probably concerned that this is a prelude for what’s next,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) adding “I think if I were the Republican leadership I’d be very worried about the ability to govern if this is going to become the norm.”
Collins noted that Cruz’s actions cast a dark cloud over hopes that Republicans could get Congress to work again in January. “It is not in keeping with our Republican commitment to return to normal order and to show the people of this country that we can govern responsibly,” she said. “This is certainly a very poor way to end the year and will only confirm the public’s already low opinion of Congress.”
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