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September 25, 2013

Cruz Stages Marathon Delay to Push Obamacare Repeal 
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Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is staging a marathon filibuster as part of his
campaign against the Affordable Care Act. The Democrat-controlled Senate
is set to strip a provision from a House Republican spending bill that
would tie the aversion of a government shutdown to the defunding of
Obamacare. In his bid to stall the Senate process, Cruz began speaking
Tuesday afternoon and continued into Wednesday morning. As Democracy
Now! broadcasts, the filibuster is in its 17th hour. During his
comments, Cruz compared those who oppose efforts to repeal Obamacare to
the Western appeasement of Nazi Germany.

Sen. Ted Cruz: "You go to the 1940s, Nazi Germany. Look, we saw in
Britain, Neville Chamberlain, who told the British people, 'Accept the
Nazis. Yes, they'll dominate the continent of Europe, but that's not our
problem. Let's appease them. Why? Because it can't be done. We can't
possibly stand against them."

A number of leading Republicans have opposed Cruz's effort, fearing
voters will blame their party for a government shutdown. The longer Cruz
holds up a vote, the less time Republicans will have to craft a response
when the Senate sends the bill back to the House. Federal agencies will
be forced to at least partially close unless Congress can approve new
spending before the end of the month.

 

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