Real Clear Politics By James Arkin 3/10/2017
Sen. Ted Cruz’s unyielding opposition to the Affordable Care Act and his willingness to publicly take the fight to fellow Republicans helped cause a brief government shutdown four years ago. But now, with a Republican in the White House and repeal legislation working its way through Congress, the Texas Republican is keeping a low profile, putting his head down and working back rooms to influence the legislation.
Cruz has expressed serious concerns about the bill, the American Health Care Act, released by House Republicans this week and approved by two committees Thursday. His fellow Senate conservatives Rand Paul and Mike Lee have railed against it publicly – Paul dubbed it “Obamacare Lite” and Lee said it was a “step in the wrong direction.” The two joined members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus at a press conference Tuesday to amplify their opposition.
But while Cruz shares the same concerns, he was absent from that press conference, and has not been nearly as vocal in his criticism as his House or Senate colleagues. When a reporter asked if he agreed with the “Obamacare Lite” label, Cruz responded: “I’m not interested in labels; I’m interested in substance.”
He has said he doesn’t believe the bill as written in the House can pass the Senate, but insisted he’s working to push it in a more conservative direction.
“I’m working hard to have these conversations with leaders in both houses and the administration rather than to litigate every one of these details in public,” Cruz told reporters Thursday after a meeting with a handful of GOP senators in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. “I am hopeful we can get the job done, and that is my objective."
[Excerpted]
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/03/10/cruz_works_behind_scenes_to_change_obamacare_repeal_bill.html
