Cruz: McConnell lied on Ex-IM bank, cannot be trusted

The transportation bill, unveiled about 24 hours before the vote, contained extensive changes to previous committee-passed bills that were negotiated over the past week by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. But on the Senate floor on Friday, Cruz showed no such reluctance.

Cruz attacked McConnell moments after the Kentucky Republican lined up a vote for Sunday to reauthorize the bank after its expiration last month.

“Not only what he told every Republican senator, but what he told the press over and over and over again, was a simple lie”, Cruz said.

Mr. McConnell has acknowledged that bank supporters have the votes to revive the bank, enraging conservatives who say he is offering the Obamacare amendment to soften their angst.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to introduce an amendment to the transportation bill to fully repeal “Obamacare”. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) accused “career politicians” in Congress of “looting the tax payer to benefit wealthy, powerful corporations”. I sat in my office, I told my staff the majority leader looked me in the eye and looked 54 Republicans in the eye.

No senator rose to defend McConnell on the floor, as some Republicans sought to avoid engaging in the dispute and giving Cruz still more attention. Senate rules say, “no senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another senator or to other senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator”. Mike Lee, a close Cruz ally who is wooing the GOP establishment to ward off any primary threat in Utah next year, also declined to comment.

Congressional conservatives, including Cruz, want to eliminate the Ex-Im Bank.

At issue was McConnell’s handling of the Export-Import Bank, a contentious, if little-understood vehicle for facilitating American business interests internationally.

The majority leader on Friday set up a procedural vote on a proposed amendment renewing Ex-Im, which would be attached to highway funding legislation. “It is empty showmanship”, he added.

“Keep in mind, he’s running for president”, Hatch added. After complaining about President Barack Obama’s nomination of Loretta Lynch as attorney general, for example, Cruz skipped the final vote on her confirmation.

He also charged that the Senate under Republican control is no different from when Harry Reid of Nevada ran the chamber and was accused by the GOP of shutting down debate and limiting amendments.

“The majority leader was visibly mad with me that I would ask him such a question”, Cruz said. “We need to nominate an inspiring leader who has proven he is willing to take on the Washington cartel and buck the political establishment of both parties”.

The Senate is rushing to pass the highway legislation before the July 31 deadline to prevent states from losing highway and transit aid.