The skunk at every picnic.
The return of Congress from August recess, and the pressure of having just 10 days in which they can do actual legislative work before the country runs out of operating money hasn't provoked any ideas on the part of Republican leaders Mitch McConnell or John Boehner for derailing Sen. Ted Cruz and his friends in the House from causing a shutdown. Cruz, in fact, seems to be
full steam ahead.
Cruz, one of a handful of senators vying for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, gave a preview of his strategy with a letter he began circulating last week. In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Cruz called on Senate leaders to stop any bill—including one that funds the government—that sets aside any federal dollars for Planned Parenthood.
"The American people should no longer be forced to fund the abortion industry," the letter, which Cruz’s aides are still circulating for signatures, reads. "Therefore we will oppose any government funding legislation that would authorize or provide federal funds for Planned Parenthood."
GOP leaders, especially McConnell, are eager to avoid yet another government shutdown threat fueled by a partisan standoff over health care. The Kentucky Republican drew a firm line against using the must-pass appropriations bill to defund Planned Parenthood during a news conference before the August recess, and GOP leadership staffers in both chambers have begun discussions about how to tackle the funding conundrum, though there’s no real solution yet.
They know they don't have the votes to defund Planned Parenthood. They know that a shutdown could be disastrous for McConnell's hopes to keep the Senate Republican after 2016, a presidential election year that will draw more Democratic voters and with way too many swing state seats Republicans have to defend. None of which matters to Cruz or his followers in the House.
In the meantime, they have a lot of posturing—and voting—to do on Iran and a visit from the Pope to eat up a bunch of hours in which they won't be working out a plan for dealing with Cruz.