Senate GOP Unity on New Stimulus Package to Get Divided by Sen. Cruz's School Choice Plan

By M.G. Alison. First Posted: Sep 05, 2020 10:49 AM EDT

The Republican stimulus package may fail to get its goal of getting a vote from 51 senators after they are divided by Senator Ted Cruz's school choice plan.

The Senate GOP leaders have been working on having only a small number of defectors on their party's latest skinny economic stimulus package.

They were hoping to vote on it next week soonest so Republicans can have a clear contrast to the Democrats for the election year. For weeks they have been working with their 53-member Senate conference to get that 51 votes from senators for that plan.

However, it may not be easy as they face a new hurdle in Cruz, who is pushing for the school choice plan's inclusion, said a report on CNN.

Cruz has been lobbying to include billions in tax credits for the controversial expansion of the school choice, a move that has divided the Senate Republican Conference.

According to Cruz, the Republican stimulus package does not have enough to earn his support, suggesting that he may not vote for it if the school choice plan would not be included.

The The Daily Signal reported that Cruz introduced the expanded school choice legislation in 2018 that would include the expenses for K-12 elementary and secondary school for public, private, and religious schools, including homeschool students.

While voters of the GOP strongly support the legislation, critics have said that it would hurt public school systems that do not have enough funding.

Another staunch supporter of the expanded school choice plan, which would also include expenses for online classes, tutoring, and after-school programs, was Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, said a U.S. News report.

According to Cruz, the expanded school choice must be added to the economic stimulus package as the public school system's inadequacy has been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the Republicans would face more problems if Cruz's wish would be granted because it would put some of them on a difficult spot, especially those who have resisted such policies and those who are up for reelection, such as Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

Other Republicans have also spoken out that the expanded school choice plan is not conducive to their respective states.

With this kind of trouble brewing among the GOP Party, the economic stimulus package may not get the 51-senator votes that they are aiming at.

Aside from Cruz, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is looking at losing the support of other conservatives. Among those who may vote against the economic stimulus package are Utah's Senator Mike Lee and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Instead of voting on the economic stimulus package next week, they may need to smooth out all differences, which means voting would have to be pushed to the third week of September.