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| After 21-Hour Cruz Speech, Senate Votes to Take Up Budget | After 21-Hour Cruz Speech, Senate Votes to Take Up Budget |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s 21-hour, 19-minute verbal assault on President Obama’s signature health care law ended Wednesday when the Senate voted 100-to-0 to move to consider House legislation that Democrats plan to use to keep the government open next week. | |
| Mr. Cruz’s marathon session — which began Tuesday afternoon, went straight through the night and ended at a predetermined noon deadline — did not win over senators from either party, and in fact Mr. Cruz even voted to open debate. After the vote, Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah and a Cruz ally, said Mr. Cruz never intended to oppose the motion to take up the bill, a position contradicted by his words and procedural motions for days before the tally. | |
| Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, greeted the conclusion of Mr. Cruz’s performance by declaring it “a big waste of time.” | Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, greeted the conclusion of Mr. Cruz’s performance by declaring it “a big waste of time.” |
| The vote ended debate and the Senate will formally take up a bill the House passed that keeps the government open through Dec. 15 while gutting the president’s Affordable Care Act. | The vote ended debate and the Senate will formally take up a bill the House passed that keeps the government open through Dec. 15 while gutting the president’s Affordable Care Act. |
| That legislation is precisely what Mr. Cruz, a Texas Republican, has clamored for, but he opposed taking it up, knowing that Democratic leaders would most likely have the votes to strip out the health care language and other Republican policies attached. | That legislation is precisely what Mr. Cruz, a Texas Republican, has clamored for, but he opposed taking it up, knowing that Democratic leaders would most likely have the votes to strip out the health care language and other Republican policies attached. |
| But with his indefatigable loquaciousness, Mr. Cruz managed to raise his own profile, anger some colleagues, thrill others, and elevate further the war over the health care law. The program begins enrolling the uninsured on Tuesday, the same day much of the government would shut down if the budget showdown were not resolved. | But with his indefatigable loquaciousness, Mr. Cruz managed to raise his own profile, anger some colleagues, thrill others, and elevate further the war over the health care law. The program begins enrolling the uninsured on Tuesday, the same day much of the government would shut down if the budget showdown were not resolved. |
| “We must all hang together or we most assuredly will all hang separately,” Mr. Cruz said in the 11th hour of his stand, quoting Benjamin Franklin and addressing his fellow Republican senators. He vowed to keep up his parliamentary battle to thwart “the train wreck, the nightmare, the disaster that is Obamacare.” | “We must all hang together or we most assuredly will all hang separately,” Mr. Cruz said in the 11th hour of his stand, quoting Benjamin Franklin and addressing his fellow Republican senators. He vowed to keep up his parliamentary battle to thwart “the train wreck, the nightmare, the disaster that is Obamacare.” |
| Just feet away from the Senate chamber, in the ornate Lyndon Baines Johnson Room, Senate Democratic women gathered with mothers and babies to castigate the effort and defend the health care law. | Just feet away from the Senate chamber, in the ornate Lyndon Baines Johnson Room, Senate Democratic women gathered with mothers and babies to castigate the effort and defend the health care law. |
| “They can talk for the rest of this term. They can stand there day and night. They can shut down government, and those who are colluders can stand with them,” fumed Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland. “We are going to stand with the people of the United States of America.” | “They can talk for the rest of this term. They can stand there day and night. They can shut down government, and those who are colluders can stand with them,” fumed Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland. “We are going to stand with the people of the United States of America.” |
| Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, said Mr. Cruz’s performance “changes nothing. He’s gotten a lot of airtime, and that’s something I’m sure he’s pleased about.” | Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, said Mr. Cruz’s performance “changes nothing. He’s gotten a lot of airtime, and that’s something I’m sure he’s pleased about.” |
| Wednesday’s vote is the first in a series that will culminate in a final vote on Sunday. Later this week, Mr. Reid will formally introduce a new version of the House stopgap-spending bill stripped of the health care language and shortened to keep the government operating from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15 rather than Dec. 15, as the House wanted. The biggest vote will most likely come this weekend, when Democrats must win over 60 senators to cut off debate on their leader’s bill. | Wednesday’s vote is the first in a series that will culminate in a final vote on Sunday. Later this week, Mr. Reid will formally introduce a new version of the House stopgap-spending bill stripped of the health care language and shortened to keep the government operating from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15 rather than Dec. 15, as the House wanted. The biggest vote will most likely come this weekend, when Democrats must win over 60 senators to cut off debate on their leader’s bill. |
| If they succeed, Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio would have a matter of hours to decide whether to have the House vote on the Senate’s spending bill over the strenuous opposition of conservative activists or to add new Republican policy provisions to the spending bill and send it back to the Senate, a move sure to shutter the government. | If they succeed, Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio would have a matter of hours to decide whether to have the House vote on the Senate’s spending bill over the strenuous opposition of conservative activists or to add new Republican policy provisions to the spending bill and send it back to the Senate, a move sure to shutter the government. |
| Even many Republicans have encouraged House leaders to relent. | Even many Republicans have encouraged House leaders to relent. |
| “There’s no other way,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. “As soon as we have 67 votes in the United States Senate, we’ll win. Unfortunately we’re not even close.” | “There’s no other way,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. “As soon as we have 67 votes in the United States Senate, we’ll win. Unfortunately we’re not even close.” |
| For now, Mr. Cruz is basking in his moment. | For now, Mr. Cruz is basking in his moment. |
| His performance was not technically a filibuster. He merely held the floor until the clock ran out on the procedural vote, which he could not delay. But nine months into his first term in elective office, the Texan has become a lightning rod, a hero to conservative activists, a rogue to others in both parties. | His performance was not technically a filibuster. He merely held the floor until the clock ran out on the procedural vote, which he could not delay. But nine months into his first term in elective office, the Texan has become a lightning rod, a hero to conservative activists, a rogue to others in both parties. |
| When he yielded the Senate floor, he did not rush off. He sat for 10 seconds, then stood for the day’s opening prayer, accepted congratulations, greeted House Republicans who came over to watch, and walked away in no haste six minutes later — tie loosened, but little worse for the wear. | When he yielded the Senate floor, he did not rush off. He sat for 10 seconds, then stood for the day’s opening prayer, accepted congratulations, greeted House Republicans who came over to watch, and walked away in no haste six minutes later — tie loosened, but little worse for the wear. |
| “Coming into this debate, we clearly were not united,” he said, greeting reporters off the floor. “There were significant divisions in the conference. I hope those divisions dissolve, that we come together in party unity and that all 46 Republicans vote against cloture on the bill on Friday or Saturday, whenever that vote occurs.” | “Coming into this debate, we clearly were not united,” he said, greeting reporters off the floor. “There were significant divisions in the conference. I hope those divisions dissolve, that we come together in party unity and that all 46 Republicans vote against cloture on the bill on Friday or Saturday, whenever that vote occurs.” |
| “Otherwise,” he warned, “I will say this: Any senator who votes with majority leader Harry Reid and the Democrats to give majority leader Reid the ability to fund Obamacare on a pure 51-vote party vote has made the decision to allow Obamacare to be funded.” | “Otherwise,” he warned, “I will say this: Any senator who votes with majority leader Harry Reid and the Democrats to give majority leader Reid the ability to fund Obamacare on a pure 51-vote party vote has made the decision to allow Obamacare to be funded.” |
| But those divisions were far from healed. Mr. McCain followed Mr. Cruz to the floor with a blistering speech, saying the health care law was subject to months of debate in committee and on the floor, was amended repeatedly and was subject to a presidential election. He was especially incensed by Mr. Cruz’s comparison of Republicans who are not standing with him to appeasers who allowed Hitler to maraud through Europe. | But those divisions were far from healed. Mr. McCain followed Mr. Cruz to the floor with a blistering speech, saying the health care law was subject to months of debate in committee and on the floor, was amended repeatedly and was subject to a presidential election. He was especially incensed by Mr. Cruz’s comparison of Republicans who are not standing with him to appeasers who allowed Hitler to maraud through Europe. |
| “Elections have consequences, and those elections were clear,” Mr. McCain said. “A majority of the American people supported the president of the United States and renewed his stewardship of this country.” | “Elections have consequences, and those elections were clear,” Mr. McCain said. “A majority of the American people supported the president of the United States and renewed his stewardship of this country.” |
| The scene inside the Senate chamber late Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning was sometimes an unusual one for the staid body, especially when Mr. Cruz paused briefly in his attack to read his two young daughters a bedtime story — “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. | The scene inside the Senate chamber late Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning was sometimes an unusual one for the staid body, especially when Mr. Cruz paused briefly in his attack to read his two young daughters a bedtime story — “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. |
| At other times, he compared his fight to efforts by leaders who stood against the Nazis, ended the cold war or started the American Revolution. | At other times, he compared his fight to efforts by leaders who stood against the Nazis, ended the cold war or started the American Revolution. |
| “Everyone in America knows Obamacare is destroying the economy,” said Mr. Cruz, who began speaking at 2:41 p.m. on Tuesday. “Where is the urgency?” | “Everyone in America knows Obamacare is destroying the economy,” said Mr. Cruz, who began speaking at 2:41 p.m. on Tuesday. “Where is the urgency?” |
| His Senate speech was among some of the longest on record, including those by Robert M. La Follette, who spoke for 18 hours and 23 minutes in 1908 and Alfonse M. D’Amato, who went on for 23 hours and 30 minutes in 1986. The record was set by Strom Thurmond at 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957. | His Senate speech was among some of the longest on record, including those by Robert M. La Follette, who spoke for 18 hours and 23 minutes in 1908 and Alfonse M. D’Amato, who went on for 23 hours and 30 minutes in 1986. The record was set by Strom Thurmond at 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957. |