Cruz: GOP’s ‘Three-Bucket’ Repeal And Replace Plan ‘Ain’t Gonna Happen’

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2017 file photo, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, departs the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republican ranks in Congress are thick with hard-right lawmakers elected to thwart former Pres... FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2017 file photo, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, departs the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republican ranks in Congress are thick with hard-right lawmakers elected to thwart former President Barack Obama and light on nuts-and-bolts legislators, especially those experienced in working with a GOP president. That could prove to be a formidable challenge as Republicans transition from an opposition party to a governing one. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on Sunday that House Republicans’ “three-bucket solution” to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act “ain’t gonna happen.”

“The President and the House Speaker say that’s going to happen, it’s going to be a two-step process,” CBS’ John Dickerson began. “You’re chuckling.”

“That ain’t gonna happen,” Cruz said. “It’s their so-called three-bucket solution, which is all the good stuff is in bucket three.”

He said that “bucket three” would take “eight Democrats” to pass.

“Right now, Senate Democrats are opposing everything. You can’t get eight Senate Democrats to agree on saying good morning,” Cruz said. “I’ve called bucket three the sucker’s bucket, and what I have been urging the President and the administration and leaders in both houses, take everything in bucket three, put it in bucket one.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) also threw cold water on remarks from top Republicans that the repeal bill is just one of three phases in their plan.

“There is no three-phase process. There is no three-step plan,” he said. “That is just political talk. It’s just politicians engaging in spin.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. “Right now, Senate Democrats are opposing everything. You can’t get eight Senate Democrats to agree on saying good morning,”

    They say “Good Morning” to everybody who deserves it, you pusillanimous pustule.

  2. OK with you if I head elsewhere for a while today? You seem to be in control of the situation here … :slight_smile:

  3. Avatar for tena tena says:

    :joy:

    Keep it right up, Democrats. No help with bailing the water out of their boat. it’s sinking.

  4. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    Is this the infamous three bucket monte?

    Where’s your healthcare? Where’s your healthcare? Whoops…not under this one…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

69 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for marby Avatar for pachy Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for lastroth Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for theghostofeustacetilley Avatar for sanni Avatar for geofu54 Avatar for riverstreet Avatar for twowolves Avatar for pine Avatar for pshah Avatar for tena Avatar for gajake Avatar for massie Avatar for edhedh Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for demosthenes59 Avatar for donkey_sauce Avatar for dvdf1126

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: