In his first Senate floor appearance since ending his White House bid, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, touted the amendments he has introduced to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, even though he plans to vote against the final bill.
But Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, quickly shot down the freshman senator on Tuesday and told him his proposals would be more likely to be considered if he would support the more-than-1,600-page bill instead of voting against it every year over a specific proposal.
“I might tell him also, with his agenda as he described it, I would be much more willing to consider that agenda if he would consider voting for the defense of this nation,” McCain said during a fiery back and forth on the Senate floor.
Cruz, however, stood by his purview and said he would not vote for the bill because it contains a provision that would require women to register for the draft.
Cruz said he had “no choice” but to vote no on the measure, and called it a “radical change that is attempting to be foisted” on Americans. “Now, was this change done through open debate? Was this change done in front of the American people? Was this change done reflecting their views?” Cruz asked. “No. It was inserted by committee staff and the committee draft.”
Citing indefinite detention as an additional reason for opposing the NDAA, Cruz added he would be “thrilled” to vote for the bill if the Senate passed an amendment protecting Americans’ due process rights.
John McCain: Every military leader has a different opinion from Ted Cruz https://t.co/5oQI1S7Rrn pic.twitter.com/Wmu3atmnpC— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 7, 2016
McCain said Cruz was entitled to his own views, but that the Texas senator had the “unique capability” of finding a provision in a lengthy bill to “base his opposition with a strong moral stand.”
McCain said Cruz’s stance lacked “sufficient reason” on the “bipartisan bill” that was “overwhelmingly voted for in the committee and at the end of the day in previous years voted overwhelmingly in favor of the United States Senate.
“I respect the senator from Texas’ view,” McCain said, but noted it was “too bad” Cruz’s view wasn’t “shared by our military leadership.”
