North Texas Rep. Allred calls out Sen. Cruz for voting against bill to keep government up and running
WASHINGTON - After a spending bill was passed to keep the government up and running, one North Texas representative is criticizing those who voted against the bill, including a Texas senator.
While the government is still open, in a month, we will be right back in this situation.
FILE - The U.S. Capitol dome is lit by the morning sun on Monday, March 14, 2022. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Dallas Congressman Colin Allred is blaming Ted Cruz for being what he calls part of the problem.
A federal government shutdown was averted, for now after President Joe Biden signed a law Saturday night keeping the government funded for 47 more days.
A majority of Republicans in both the House and Senate joined almost all Democrats in voting for the measure to keep the government open.
Texas Senator John Cornyn joined most Republicans in voting to keep the government open, while Texas’ other senator, Cruz, voted to shut it down.
Government shutdown averted: Congress passes 45-day funding plan
The rushed package drops aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases federal disaster assistance by $16 billion.
"There are folks who want to get things done here and we also have some folks who just want to burn everything down," Rep. Allred said.
Allred, who’s running for Cruz’s Senate seat in 2024, was quick to criticize Cruz for his vote.
In a statement, Sen. Cruz said: "No one wants a government shutdown...Democrats are opposed to spending cuts, or spending limits of any kind, even their own spending limit that they agreed to less than four months ago. This continuing resolution does nothing to address the acute crisis at the Texas-Mexico border, itself created by deliberate Democrat policies. I voted no."
Allred said everyone isn’t going to get what they want in situations like this, and in his words, Republican leadership has to work with people like him to get things done.
And in fact, nine Republicans from Texas voted yes to keep the government open, including Kay Granger, Michael Burgess, and Jake Ellzey from the North Texas congressional delegation.
"[Cruz is] somebody who is part of the problem and that's what this next election is going to be about. We are seeing it in stark terms right now in these vote totals. You see who some of the problem children are and we don't have to put up with it," Allred said.
State Senator Roland Gutierrez is running against Allred in the Democratic primary for the right to take on Cruz. He posted on social media "Ted Cruz voted to hurt Texans."
Cruz said he believes Democrats are just kicking the can down the road.