*UPDATE
After an earlier vote to extend the voting deadline, the Senate went ahead and signed away on the $1.1 trillion spending bill, 56-40. Three of the 21 Democrats who voted against the bill include, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore). As most expected, Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) also voted against the bill. The bill has been criticized by many for catering to rich while disadvantaging the poor, and its negative effects on abortion, healthcare, campaign finance, environment.
For an easy guide to find out what the $1.1 trillion spending bill actually entails, Ed O'Keefe of the Washington Post, outlines the good, the bad, and the very ugly.
Surprisingly, 18 Republicans also voted against the bill which will now go to President Obama, who is expected to sign. You can read more on this update in Huffington Post.
Earlier this evening…
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the same man responsible for pushing the 2013 Government Shutdown in protest of the Affordable Care Act (and costing Americans $24 Billion), loses in his attempt for another shutdown, 'reeking' more havoc for what some believe is the
worst Congress in U.S. history.
NBC News:
Unable to pass a massive spending bill that would keep the government funded for a year, the Senate on Saturday approved a stopgap measure to prevent a shutdown at midnight. The maneuver came during a rare Saturday session after GOP Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee demanded a vote Friday to defund President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration, thwarting Senate leadership's hopes to pass a $1.1 trillion spending bill and get it to the White House with minimum theatrics before leaving Washington.
To give 'equal time,' here is what Ted Cruz tweeted and stated on his
Facebook page: (Grab an airsickness bag)
Ted Cruz:
"Harry Reid's last act as Majority Leader is to, once again, act as an enabler for President Obama, by blocking this vote on the President's amnesty. He is going to an embarrassing length to tie up the floor to obstruct debate and a vote on this issue because he knows amnesty is unpopular with the American people, and he doesn't want the Democrats on the record as supporting it.
"No one wants a government shutdown…"
Tell me, did the airsickness bag come in handy? Not many are buying into Cruz's ridiculousness, other than his '
dittohead-like' fans.
Even his own party is disgusted with his latest stunt.
“It will have the end result of causing nominees whom I think are not well qualified to be confirmed, so I don’t understand the approach that he is taking, and I think it’s very unfortunate and counterproductive,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine.
“This is certainly a very poor way to end the year and will only confirm the public’s already low opinion of Congress,” Ms. Collins said.
Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, called Mr. Cruz’s strategy “a little worrying. When you force a weekend session like this, we ought to be accomplishing something, and I just don’t see what that is.”
It's always entertaining to watch the Right eat their own. Imagine how many in his party had similar thoughts. Hopefully, Republicans will continue belittling the senator, until Cruz learns to kindly shut the fuck up.
*To the Daily Kos Community I've come to learn, the way I updated is strongly discouraged. I should have used the 'update' option, above the comments, which I've never used (and often wondered how to get those time stamps.) My apologies.