No one tell failed presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (who's back to being a senator again), but his favorite hobbyhorse has died in the Senate.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the Senate are abandoning an effort to use their power over the federal purse strings to block implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The more pragmatic approach with a huge $164 billion spending measure reflects a hope by top Republicans like Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to remove veto bait from must-pass spending bills in hopes of advancing them more easily.
Of course, just because leadership has finally cried uncle and admitted defeat on this one doesn't mean Cruz or some of his more "Freedom-y" Republican colleagues will agree. They could still cause plenty of mischief on the floor over this, and likely will. Cruz's national ambitions haven't died along with his humiliating defeat by Donald Trump—nor has his relentless zeal for taking away people's health insurance.