Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has become the subject of much perplexity among his Senate Republican colleagues as he strayed from his role as a conservative firebrand to take the lead on the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Texas senator, long known for creating problems for leadership, suddenly took the opposite tack by urging Republicans not to disrupt work on the last must-pass bill in Congress in months.
But the irony was not lost on lawmakers who have observed Cruz’s antics up close and personal, especially in government spending battles over the years.
“It’s fun to be able to watch,” a Senate Republican told The Hill before citing the movie “Airplane!” “What’s the old Hollywood joke? The foot is on the other side.”
Several senators told The Hill that Cruz has been on the receiving end of countless jokes from colleagues during the Senate’s weekly GOP luncheons over the past two weeks. Most members gave him high marks for his work at the FAA, but they can’t help themselves as Cruz tries to keep the bill on track to pass before Friday’s midnight deadline and keep unrelated amendments in place. outside of a final bill.
“Let’s just say he’s getting a lot of ridicule right now,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said with a laugh as he left lunch Wednesday to take a call. “Of course he is stating that this is different from all the other times he has insisted on voting on amendments because this one was much more transparent. … People have a little fun with your obedience.”
As a second Senate Republican put it, Cruz was frustrated by the last-minute efforts and the “obstinacy” of some members.
“It is often [been] he. …So he’s taking some of his own medicine,” the member joked. “It’s a little funny.”
Cruz, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, was tasked with completing the agreement with the FAA that would reauthorize the program for five years. But after more than a decade of giving leadership headaches and racking up seniority, he was thrust into uncharted territory as he negotiated what lawmakers described as a complex package.
He also tried to argue that the process and structure of the FAA bill should be a model for future bipartisan negotiations. Cruz said he and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) went through regular requests, had a long markup process, with members inside and outside the committee winning inclusion of amendments and priorities.
The project was unanimously approved by the panel, putting it in the position it is now.
Cruz is under particular attack from members as the FAA bill represents lawmakers’ final attempt to tie their favorite priorities, most of them unrelated to aviation and travel, to a piece of legislation that must be passed by the fall and , ironically, the effort to fund the government for fiscal year 2025. He was, of course, one of the architects of the 16-day government shutdown in 2013 as conservatives pushed to defund the Affordable Care Act.
Still, Cruz is laughing a lot, members say. He is widely known in the Senate for his sense of humor.
“One thing about smart people is that they are smart,” Cramer said. “I think he got the joke.”
Cruz told The Hill that during Wednesday’s lunch, a moderate member “was having great joy, making me sad” in the ongoing battle to keep the FAA’s momentum on track while lawmakers
“I just laughed and said, ‘I’m not even going to fight back,’” Cruz said in a brief interview.
The massive bipartisan undertaking also comes at an important time for Cruz, as he is up for re-election in November and faces a showdown with another well-funded House Democrat, Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas).
The two-term senator remains the favorite for reelection in the Lone Star State, but he has tried for months to burnish his bipartisan bona fides in order to block moderates and cut off any avenue for Allred to replicate the scare he received six years ago from former -Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas).
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) recently declared that Democrats would take back the seat despite the party’s decades-long struggles in the state and the uphill climb they face. No Democrat has won the entire state of Texas since 1994.
Cruz said he plans to campaign on the FAA bill in his country in the coming months. One of the state’s major wins in this package is expected to be a direct flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and San Antonio. Cruz noted that San Antonio is home to a large population of active-duty military and veterans, and that a flight just steps from the Pentagon would be of great benefit to the state.
Senate GOP leaders readily acknowledge Cruz’s past, given his propensity to give them a stir. However, they admit that he carried a lot of weight in front of the FAA and that being put in that kind of position can change someone’s thinking.
“Sometimes when you’re in the position of wanting to get a result, the legislative process looks a little different to you than it would at other times,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), praising Cruz for “dealing with a difficult project with many moving parts.”
“People are having fun with it,” he added with a laugh. “It’s all good-natured humor.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
