Ted Cruz objects to MS awareness resolution
Updated: 3/19, 8:10 am
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has only been in the Senate a few months, but he's already made it clear he's not planning to take a low-key approach to governing. Within his brief tenure as senator, he's gotten in a sparring matches with a senior senator, earned scolds from a member of his own caucus, and passionately recited Shakespeare during a 13-hour filibuster of the Obama administration's drone program.
Last week, he signaled he's not against opposing some of the routine Senate resolutions that pass through the Senate frequently - and which represent some of the only legislation the chamber is able to easily pass these days: As Politico first reported, he objected to a resolution honoring Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.
According to Politico, Cruz objected to unanimous consent on the resolution due to an issue with how the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition was described in the legislation.
Cruz's staff, however, says the senator supports the substance of the resolution, but didn't have enough time to properly review its language.
"Senator Cruz does not oppose the substance of the MS resolution, and he never did. Unfortunately, the sponsors of this resolution circulated their request for unanimous consent less than 48 hours before they wanted it passed," said Cruz spokesman Sean Rushton, in a statement to CBS. "A member of Sen. Cruz's staff--who herself suffers from MS--asked for time to review the language, and to perhaps suggest revisions to the language, as is typical. It appears that Senate Democratic staff, instead of working to ensure unanimous consent, instead decided to leak this story to try to malign Senator Cruz."
Correction: This piece originally stated that Cruz voted against the resolution. He actually objected to it.
