Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz released a video on his Twitter feed Wednesday night that castigates a massive $1.4 trillion spending bill before the Senate Thursday.
Cruz noted, “The spending bill the Senate is voting on tomorrow is a lobbyist boondoggle that belongs in an ashtray.”
The spending bill the Senate is voting on tomorrow is lobbyist boondoggle that belongs in an ashtray. pic.twitter.com/fa9euZLMYQ
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) December 19, 2019
The senator begins his mini-production by lighting a cigar, taking a few puffs and telling viewers, “Christmas came early in Washington for lobbyists.”
Cruz then draws the viewer’s attention to papers piled high on a desk. “I present to you the massive omnibus bill that Congress is voting on … 2,313 pages, dropped on us the day before yesterday. Nobody’s read it. There isn’t a person alive who has read this piece of garbage but it was put together in the dark of the night with Republican leadership and [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer — cutting a deal,” Cruz says.
Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy has also castigated the bill, saying it was produced by “swamp creatures” and that President Donald Trump should veto it. (RELATED: Ted Cruz Slams UN For Defending Hamas Over Israel: It’s ‘Absurd And Dishonest)
The senator then goes through some of the items detailed in the bill, choosing ten.
He highlights the satisfaction of “corporate welfare” as one of the chief objectives of the bill before noting that the legislation also “raises the tobacco purchasing age to 21 … You can be drafted to go to war … but God help you if you to have a smoke,” Cruz says. “Did we have a debate on that?”
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
The senator is also critical of the bill’s funding of government research on gun control that could ultimately “take away your Constitutional rights.” There are also “tax breaks for so-called renewable energy” in the document. (RELATED: Chuck Todd Equates Ted Cruz Believing Ukraine Meddled In Election With JFK Conspiracy Theory)
There are also some significant items that the bill fails to do. The staunchly pro-life Cruz says that Planned Parenthood will keep getting government money and so will Obamacare. The legislation will not fully fund the border wall.
He notes that Trump is asking for $8.6 billion. “How much does it come short?” Cruz asks. “Does it give 8 billion, 7 billion six billion?” The answer he provides is $1.4 billion that “doesn’t come close to fully funding the wall.” The president has secured funding to construct about 50% of the envisioned barrier.
“This is why Washington’s corrupt. This is an example of government of the lobbyist, by the lobbyist and for the lobbyist,” Cruz says, before putting out his stogie on the bill.
