Sen. Ted Cruz defended the closed process his colleagues are taking to pass a healthcare bill through the Senate, in an interview Tuesday night with conservative radio host Mark Levin.
“I think if we were debating this publicly, there would not be a way to have reasonable good-faith negotiations, where conservatives and moderates could lay out their views, go back and forth and find middle ground,” Cruz, R-Texas, told Levin. “I think what you would end up with is people grandstanding for the cameras and drawing lines in the sand and shooting at each other, and we wouldn’t get there.”
Patrick Svitek, a reporter for the Texas Tribune, recounted Cruz’ comments in a series of tweets.
Cruz: If we were debating ACA repeal publicly, ppl would be “grandstanding for the cameras, drawing lines in the sand” & attacking ea. other
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 20, 2017
Senate Republicans are preparing to vote on legislation to repeal parts of Obamacare next week after a closed-door process driven by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., which has included no public hearings.
McConnell says a draft version of the bill will be released Thursday.
Cruz, a key conservative, told Levin he hasn’t yet seen what’s in the bill, but he noted McConnell and his staff have consulted the views of conservatives.
Republicans can only afford to lose two votes of its members for the bill to pass under reconciliation, assuming all Senate Democrats oppose the measure.
He said that if the GOP fails to repeal Obamacare, “that’s how you get a Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and a Leader Chuck Schumer.”
.@TedCruz: If GOP falls short on Obamacare repeal promises, “that’s how you get a Speaker Pelosi and a Leader Chuck Schumer.”
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 20, 2017
But Cruz added, “If the bill doesn’t solve the underlying problem, I’ll vote no.”
