With GOP Help, Senate Restores Funding for ObamaCare
Despite pressure from conservative Republicans, most notably Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), on Friday the Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) that restores funding for ObamaCare, with nearly two dozen Republican senators helping it on its way. The fate of ObamaCare is now back in the hands of the House of Representatives, led by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
The key vote concerned cloture, which closes debate on a bill and allows it to be amended and brought up for a final vote. In his 21-hour speech earlier this week, Cruz had urged fellow Republicans not to vote for cloture even though the CR under consideration, which had already passed the House, did not contain funding for ObamaCare. Cruz and other conservatives such as Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) feared — justifiably so, it turns out — that once cloture was achieved, Democrats would amend the CR to restore funding for the healthcare law.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 6/22/2009
