Sen. Leticia Van De Putte & Congressman Marc Veasey Take on Ted Cruz Over Government Shutdown

Congressman Marc Veasey and state Senator Leticia Van De Putte held a press conference Wednesday afternoon addressing the filibuster by Ted Cruz that could lead to a potential government shutdown and hurt Texas families. Both officials chided Cruz and the extreme wing of the Republican party who are holding the government hostage over their objections to funding the Affordable Care Act.

Congressman Veasey referred to Cruz' "fake filibuster" as a "waste of taxpayer money," and Sen. Van De Putte called Cruz a "Wendy wannabee," saying that at least when Wendy filibustered it was to preserve access to care and not to deny it.

On the question of whether Greg Abbott should have to formally opine on Cruz's threat to shutdown the government, Congressman Veasey said it was clear from Abbott's support via Twitter that, "Abbott doesn't stand with those [Texas] families, he stands with Ted Cruz."

The point of most contention for Democrats seems to be the lack of an alternative plan or a real solution for the 44 million Americans who do not have access to affordable healthcare in this country. "Work with us," Veasey said audibly frustrated, "As far as healthcare is concerned it shows how far they are removed from everyday middle class America...They never offer any constructive solutions."

Rep. Veasey said Congress was under serious time constraints, and if they failed to pass a continuing resolution they would lose the authority to fund the government and that could have a devastating effect on our economy and could even, "result in a credit downgrading of our country."