Texas Senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz declared, “Republican leadership is standing with Barack Obama in supporting the funding of Planned Parenthood” in an interview broadcast on Wednesday’s “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel.
Cruz, after stating that Republican leadership wants “to engage in show votes, but not actually win anything.” And wants a “show vote” on Planned Parenthood “an ongoing national criminal enterprise,” before they “acquiesce to Obama,” was asked [relevant exchange begins around 6:00] “you have said you would not support any CR if it includes funding for Planned Parenthood. Do you have the support of other Republicans, considering the release of these videos in recent weeks?”
Cruz answered, “Sadly, right now, we don’t. Republican leadership is standing with Barack Obama in supporting the funding of Planned Parenthood. Let me tell you how they’re doing it. What Barack Obama has said is he will veto any funding for the federal government unless it includes $500 million of taxpayer money going to Planned Parenthood. So, Obama is holding the entire federal government hostage, every agency of the federal government. And what Republican leadership does is it unilaterally surrenders. It says, well, — the major tool Congress has, is the power of the purse, under the Constitution, and every time Congress threatens to use it, Obama says he’ll veto it. And so the position of [Sen. Mitch] McConnell (R-KY) and [Rep. John] Boehner (R-OH) is they will not fight for anything unless Obama agrees to it and won’t veto it. You know what, if that’s the case, what the heck is the difference between them and [Sen.] Harry Reid (D-NV) and [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) if Obama sets all the priorities? And you know, one of the illustrations, today, there’s a big Wall Street Journal editorial slamming me because I’m urging Republicans to actually follow through on our commitments and defund Planned Parenthood. And I talk about that a lot in the book ‘A Time for Truth’ how the Wall Street Journal is the most powerful tool Republican leadership uses to hit conservatives.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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