Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Wednesday that he will object to a government spending bill if it does not cut off funds for President Obama's signature healthcare law.
Cruz, a staunchly conservative freshman, said he will offer an amendment to delay the flow of funds to implement the healthcare law when the Senate takes up a continuing resolution to fund the federal government.
"I believe we should continue to delay such funding at least until economic growth returns to historic averages, and I intend to object to consideration of any Continuing Resolution that does not include a vote to delay funding of Obamacare," Cruz said in a statement.
Cruz has already ruffled some feathers within the GOP with his acerbic style. And by demanding a provision to defund the healthcare law, he would be picking a fight that most of his Republican colleagues don't seem eager to wage.House Republicans' continuing resolution does not propose defunding the healthcare law, even though the House has voted more than 30 times to repeal or defund parts of the law.
Some Republicans have tossed around the idea of delaying the healthcare law as a way to save money — its most expensive provision, new subsidies to help people buy private insurance — kicks in next year.
But even conservative Republican lawmakers have acknowledged that proposal wouldn't get any traction in the Democratic-controlled Senate and said it might not be a political battle worth waging.
Cruz, though, said the Affordable Care Act will stifle economic growth.
"In my view, Obamacare should be fully repealed, and I have introduced legislation to do so," he said. "At a minimum, however, it should not be implemented at time when our economy is struggling so mightily, at a time when its implementation could push us into a full recession."
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