Ted Cruz's Bad Day Doesn't Mean A Government Shutdown Is Averted
"[Senate Majority Leader] 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. At that point, House Republicans must stand firm, hold their ground, and continue to listen to the American people."
Some House Republicans and staff have responded with outrage, saying Cruz talks a good game but isn't willing to do his part to make sure the government stays closed unless Obamacare is funded.
This has raised hopes that House Republicans have reached their "breaking point" with Cruz and will agree to keep the government open once the Senate does exactly what Cruz predicts: strip defund provisions out of the CR and send it back to the House.
But look who's offering the heated quotes to press about Cruz. It's members of the House who were already on the record against a shutdown, or aides to House leadership, which has never wanted a shutdown.
Here's Rep. Sean Duffy (Wis.) on Wednesday:
Duffy issued a statement to local news affiliate WSAU on Tuesday saying "I do not believe that forcing a government shutdown is the right tactic."
Rep. Tim Griffin (Ark.):
Griffin told the Arkansas Times last month, "I do not support shutting down the government."
Rep. Tom Price (Ga.):
Price has also pushed against the shutdown strategy, saying Republicans should instead seek a one-year delay of Obamacare.
Many of the harshest quotes about Cruz have come from unnamed aides to House leadership:
Of course, these are the Republicans who had the most reason to be mad at Cruz, before and after his statement on Wednesday that it's up to the house to carry the ball on defunding Obamacare.
What we have not seen is rising frustration from the 30 or 40 House Republicans who reputedly will not vote for what Speaker John Boehner really wants: a continuing resolution that funds the government at sequestration levels without addressing Obamacare.
If they're not breaking with Cruz, then we still have the same problem we had three days ago, which is that the only continuing resolutions that can pass the House with the support of 217 Republicans will have to defund Obamacare. Cruz has alienated lots of people, but it's not clear he's alienated the people whose support he most needs.
Of course, Boehner can always keep the government open by letting Nancy Pelosi set the terms of a bill to keep the government open and providing a few Republican votes to create a majority. But if House Republicans weren't willing to do that a week ago, it's not obvious how that changes as a result of Cruz outrage.