Calling it "a remarkable day of unity," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday was a victory for House Speaker John Boehner, who agreed to demands of conservative Republicans to hold a vote Friday to defund Obamacare.
Boehner had tried to avoid the vote, agreeing with other mainstream members of the party that it could lead to a government shutdown for which Republicans would be blamed.
Republicans ultimately linked the vote to raising the debt ceiling and continued to tout their vow to fund all of the government except the Affordable Care Act.
"I would make a plea today to the 46 Senate Republicans that today is a day for party unity — that every Senate Republican should stand with Republicans in the House, should stand with conservatives and should stand with the American people," Cruz said Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity."
"Today, the House of Representatives answered the call. Now, the ball's in Harry Reid's hands," Cruz said, referring to the Democratic Senate majority leader, who has vowed to stop any bill to defund Obamacare.
Also appearing on the program, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Republicans have are willing to meet President Barack Obama halfway.
"Ted and I and others are willing to fund even programs that we don't like as a compromise gesture in order to avoid having to fund Obamacare," Lee told host Sean Hannity.
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