Boehner To Ted Cruz: Time To Put Up Or Shut Up

The mini-war that erupted yesterday between the House GOP Caucus and the suddenly skittish Ted Cruz continues:

House GOP leadership has been frustrated for weeks with Senate Republicans like Ted Cruz (R-TX) for putting the pressure on the lower chamber to defund Obamacare in exchange for funding the federal government. House leaders are convinced a government shutdown would be a political disaster for the Republican Party. But Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee and others kept pressing, riling up the base for a shutdown showdown.Now, with the House poised to pass the bill that Cruz and company wanted, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) had a message Thursday for his Senate comrades: Put up or shut up.

“The fight here has been won. The fight over there is just beginning,” Boehner told reporters. “I expect my Senate colleagues to do everything they can to stop this law. It’s time for them to pick up the mantle and get the job done.”

The House will pass Friday a government spending bill that defunds the 2010 health care reform law, Boehner said. It’s not the bill that Boehner wanted to pass. But his original plan for a two-pronged vote, which would have allowed the Senate to strip the defund Obamacare language and keep the government running without a risk of shutdown, was stymied by a revolt from the rightwing of the GOP, spurred on in part by Cruz.

Now the House is passing a spending bill that greatly increases the possibility of a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Thursday that it was “dead” upon reaching the Senate floor.

But the frustration for Boehner and other House conservatives is that Cruz has already been signaling defeat in his chamber.

“Harry Reid will no doubt try to strip the defund language from the continuing resolution, and right now he likely has the votes to do so,” Cruz said in a joint statement Wednesday with Lee and Sen. Marco Rubio (FL). “At that point, House Republicans must stand firm, hold their ground, and continue to listen to the American people.”

Get out the popcorn, this could get entertaining.

C. Clavin

September 19, 2013 at 4:03 pm

Try to imagine…it’s unusually hot and humid, even for July in Philadelphia…in 1776.
Leading the Constitutional Convention are John Boehner and Ted Cruz.

Now try to imagine what this country would be like today if the above happened.
Scary…very scary.

James Pearce

September 19, 2013 at 5:04 pm

“The fight here has been won. The fight over there is just beginning,” Boehner told reporters. “I expect my Senate colleagues to do everything they can to stop this law. It’s time for them to pick up the mantle and get the job done.”

Alright, who slipped into the alternate universe? Me or Boehner?

“The fight here has been won?” No, it was lost at every level.

al-Ameda

September 19, 2013 at 5:34 pm

Boehner thinks he runs the House Republican Delegation and the Senate Republican delegation. He needs a new spray tan prescription.

JohnMcC

September 19, 2013 at 5:47 pm

I’m wondering if the Repub Senatorial group that is jostling to see who can represent the TParty segment in the Senate will do a verbal filibuster to show their solidarity with the nut-case-caucus. That got lots of positives for Sen Paul on the drone issue. I’m hoping not. As much as I like popcorn & C-Span, going over this cliff is going to hurt a lot of innocent folks.

An Interested Party

September 19, 2013 at 8:54 pm

Now try to imagine what this country would be like today if the above happened.

Under those circumstances, this country probably wouldn’t exist today…

Argon

September 19, 2013 at 11:35 pm

Mitch McConnell is nowhere to be seen.

Brave Sir Robin ran away.
Bravely ran away away.
When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out…

OzarkHillbilly

September 20, 2013 at 6:20 am

@Argon: Thanx, I needed that!

Scott

September 20, 2013 at 8:32 am

@C. Clavin: They had duels in those days. If only….

Pinky

September 20, 2013 at 12:37 pm

@C. Clavin:

Try to imagine…it’s unusually hot and humid, even for July in Philadelphia…in 1776.
Leading the Constitutional Convention are John Boehner and Ted Cruz.

I imagine they’d be confused. The Constitutional Convention wouldn’t start for another 20+ years. Nice one, Cliff. Now, are you going to criticize Argon for not footnoting the Monty Python routine?

Pinky

September 20, 2013 at 12:41 pm

@C. Clavin: And the thing is, in your 1776 Continental Congress, Boehner would be pushing for compromise and Cruz would be advocating for independence. So really, if Boehner was in charge, we wouldn’t have a USA, and you’re supporting Cruz.

Grewgills

September 20, 2013 at 6:45 pm

@Pinky:
The question of independence had been settled before the Continental Congress. What was left to be settled was how the country would be governed moving forward and compromise was absolutely required to get anything done. All or nothing types like Cruz do not help in those circumstances, which was I believe CC’s point.

11 responses to “Boehner To Ted Cruz: Time To Put Up Or Shut Up”

C. Clavin

September 19, 2013 at 4:03 pm

Try to imagine…it’s unusually hot and humid, even for July in Philadelphia…in 1776.
Leading the Constitutional Convention are John Boehner and Ted Cruz.

Now try to imagine what this country would be like today if the above happened.
Scary…very scary.
James Pearce

September 19, 2013 at 5:04 pm

“The fight here has been won. The fight over there is just beginning,” Boehner told reporters. “I expect my Senate colleagues to do everything they can to stop this law. It’s time for them to pick up the mantle and get the job done.”

Alright, who slipped into the alternate universe? Me or Boehner?

“The fight here has been won?” No, it was lost at every level.
al-Ameda

September 19, 2013 at 5:34 pm

Boehner thinks he runs the House Republican Delegation and the Senate Republican delegation. He needs a new spray tan prescription.
JohnMcC

September 19, 2013 at 5:47 pm

I’m wondering if the Repub Senatorial group that is jostling to see who can represent the TParty segment in the Senate will do a verbal filibuster to show their solidarity with the nut-case-caucus. That got lots of positives for Sen Paul on the drone issue. I’m hoping not. As much as I like popcorn & C-Span, going over this cliff is going to hurt a lot of innocent folks.
An Interested Party

September 19, 2013 at 8:54 pm

Now try to imagine what this country would be like today if the above happened.

Under those circumstances, this country probably wouldn’t exist today…
Argon

September 19, 2013 at 11:35 pm

Mitch McConnell is nowhere to be seen.

Brave Sir Robin ran away.
Bravely ran away away.
When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out…
OzarkHillbilly

September 20, 2013 at 6:20 am

@Argon: Thanx, I needed that!
Scott

September 20, 2013 at 8:32 am

@C. Clavin: They had duels in those days. If only….
Pinky

September 20, 2013 at 12:37 pm

@C. Clavin:

Try to imagine…it’s unusually hot and humid, even for July in Philadelphia…in 1776.
Leading the Constitutional Convention are John Boehner and Ted Cruz.

I imagine they’d be confused. The Constitutional Convention wouldn’t start for another 20+ years. Nice one, Cliff. Now, are you going to criticize Argon for not footnoting the Monty Python routine?
Pinky

September 20, 2013 at 12:41 pm

@C. Clavin: And the thing is, in your 1776 Continental Congress, Boehner would be pushing for compromise and Cruz would be advocating for independence. So really, if Boehner was in charge, we wouldn’t have a USA, and you’re supporting Cruz.
Grewgills

September 20, 2013 at 6:45 pm

@Pinky:
The question of independence had been settled before the Continental Congress. What was left to be settled was how the country would be governed moving forward and compromise was absolutely required to get anything done. All or nothing types like Cruz do not help in those circumstances, which was I believe CC’s point.