Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) came to the Senate floor Thursday to lambast his conservative colleages, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT), for not agreeing to a request by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to move up a cloture vote on a continuing resolution funding the government from Friday to Thursday evening.
Corker argued that the Senate should act as soon as possible in order to give their House colleagues more time to avert a government shutdown, criticizing Cruz for putting on a “show” meant to attract attention instead.
“It’s my understanding again, relative to this vote tonight happening tomorrow instead, is that my two colleagues, who I respect, have sent out e-mails around the world and turned this into a show possibly, and, therefore, they want people around the world to watch maybe them and others on the Senate floor,” Corker said, with Cruz and Lee present on the floor.
“And that is taking priority over getting legislation back to the House so they can take action before the country’s government shuts down and, by the way, causing them possibly to put in place again some other good policies,” he added.
Moments after the heated exchange, the vice president of government affairs at the conservative Club for Growth tweeted that Corker sounded like a Democrat:
Senator Corker effectively became a Democrat just now on the Senate floor.
— Andy Roth (@andyroth) September 26, 2013
