***UPDATED WITH VIDEO OF FULL EXCHANGE BELOW***
Unlike many Republicans, Ted Cruz won’t accept defeat just because the GOP didn’t get their way on the Senate budget. He is still fighting to ensure there are no tax increases or debt ceiling increases, suggesting that Harry Reid make any motion to raise either of the two out of order. Harry Reid, unhappy with Cruz’s request, calls him a schoolyard bully. Ha!
Name calling, is that all you got Harry Reid?
THE HILL – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called freshman GOP Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) a “schoolyard bully” during a contentious exchange Monday on the Senate floor.
The two senators bickered as Cruz rose to object to Reid’s motion to appoint conferees to a House-Senate budget committee.
Cruz said he was concerned that the conference report—which cannot be filibustered—would be used to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. He asked that Reid amend his motion to go to conference to make out of order any provisions raising taxes or raising the debt ceiling.
Reid said Cruz had a chance to amend the Senate budget—which raises $975 billion in new tax revenue from tax reform—when it was considered on the floor.
He said Cruz’s request to eliminate all taxes in a final House-Senate budget was absurd.
“The senator from Texas was on the losing side…now he wants us to adopt the losing side’s view or we cannot go to conference,” Reid said.
“My friend from Texas is like a schoolyard bully,” Reid added.
Cruz, a Tea Party darling whose rhetoric has sometimes raised eyebrows among Republicans, shot back that “I wasn’t aware we are in the schoolyard.”
Reid cut him off saying “enough.”
…
“Why are my Republican colleagues so afraid?” Reid asked Monday in making his request. “We have our differences but Democrats aren’t afraid to work out those differences.”
Reid accused the GOP of “whining” about the Senate not producing a budget for four years and then refusing to bring about a conference.
i will update with video as soon as I can get the exchange.