Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) left the Capitol on Thursday before the Senate finally voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general, even though Cruz has been outspoken in his opposition to Lynch.
Cruz, who has launched his presidential campaign, instead opted to attend a fundraiser.
Here’s why Cruz had to fly back to Texas before the final Lynch vote… pic.twitter.com/BCUt2cbkED
— Rebecca Berg (@rebeccagberg) April 23, 2015
Cruz’s office defended his absence at the vote, arguing that Lynch’s confirmation was decided when the Senate voted to proceed.
“His opposition to Lynch is very clear—he spoke about it on the Senate floor this morning. He opposes the nomination and voted against her in committee and on cloture,” Amanda Carpenter, a Cruz spokeswoman, told TPM in an email.
It’s not uncommon for members of Congress to skip votes to attend fundraisers. According to analysis highlighted by the Sunlight Foundation, only five representatives and five senators attended every vote in 2012.
Sahil Kapur contributed reporting.
