Government Shutdown: Cruz Warns House Leaders Against Using ‘Procedural Chicanery’ To Defund Obamacare

Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican and Tea Party favorite, on Tuesday dismissed the latest proposal from House Republican leadership to defund Obamacare as “procedural chicanery,” saying it will amount to nothing more than another “meaningless” vote against the new health care law.

News surfaced Monday that top House Republicans have devised a plan for averting a potential U.S. government shutdown after Sept. 30, by voting on a “clean” continuing resolution -- a stopgap funding measure -- and a separate concurrent bill to defund the new health care law. The House Appropriations Committee has already produced its draft continuing resolution that continues the current rate of funding, approximately $988 billion, as a "clean bill" without defunding Obamacare.

Conservatives like Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio have been pushing for a vote on an appropriations bill that entirely funds the government, but provides no money to implement Obamacare.

Cruz warned that if House Republicans proceed with the new strategy, they will be “complicit” in continuing the law, which they all have said is a “disaster.”

“The American people are not surprised that politicians in Washington -- of both parties -- are afraid to take a stand,” he said in a statement. “But another symbolic vote against Obamacare is meaningless. Obamacare is the biggest job killer in America, and people are hurting.

“House Republicans should pass a continuing resolution that funds government in its entire[t]y -- except Obamacare -- and that explicitly prohibits spending any federal money, mandatory or discretionary, on Obamacare,” he continued. “They should not use any procedural chicanery to enable [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid to circumvent that vote. If you oppose Obamacare, don’t fund Obamacare.”