Why Ted Cruz Thinks He Won The Defund Fight
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Tom Pennington/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The government shut down for 16 days and Obamacare is still funded. While some have labeled this a loss for those who waged the fight to defund Obamacare, Sen. Ted Cruz, the lead promoter of the push to tie government funding to the president’s healthcare plan, still thinks he won.
A memo circulated by Cruz’s office says they believe the defund efforts “produced tangible results that create both immediate and long-term benefits for the country and the conservative cause.”
According to the memo provided to ABC News, Cruz’s office details four reasons why their defund plan was successful.
“First, it intensified the nation’s focus on Obamacare. Second, it energized Americans by showing there are people in Washington willing to take real action to stop Obamacare. Third, it exposed, for all to see, the Democrats’ refusal to compromise out of blind devotion to their extreme liberal agenda. Lastly, it proved the need for Republicans to unite and stand firm together in their resolve to defeat Obamacare,” the memo reads.
The memo also categorizes the actions taken by the House of Representatives as a “model for winning” and urges Republicans not to wait until the next election to wage a fight against Obamacare.
“The House listened to the American people, as evidence by the passage of bills to fund the government and defund Obamacare,” the memo reads. “The House remained committed to the defund strategy by holding firm and passing bills to re-open the government and fund essential services.”
“The Establishment’s strategy of waiting for a successful election cycle before working to stop Obamacare is an unacceptable option,” it says.
Last week, Cruz told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl he won’t rule out another government shutdown if it means trying to stop Obamacare.
“I would do anything, and I will continue to do anything I can, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare,” Cruz said. “The test that matters Jon, is are we doing anything for all the people that are getting hurt from Obamacare?”
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