Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down Tuesday on his opposition to Sen. Ted Cruz’s proposal to filibuster a House-passed spending bill that would keep the government funded past Sept. 30.

On Monday, McConnell’s spokesman said the Kentucky Republican would vote to end debate on the bill, a vote that Cruz claims will facilitate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s plan to strip Obamacare defunding language from the bill.

But McConnell said that is exactly why Republicans should support the motion to invoke cloture on the bill — because it will put pressure on Democrats to affirmatively support the controversial 2010 health care law.

McConnell argued that “even some of the bill’s fiercest early backers are looking for an escape hatch. But there’s only one escape hatch that will fully help those trapped by this law, and that’s full repeal.”

He went to say:

“That’s why I’m supporting the House-passed CR. Not only does it defund this terrible law, it doesn’t increase government spending by a penny. And it keeps the government from shutting down, which nobody wants. And it does something else. And this is really important. It puts the focus right where it belongs, on the Democrats who voted for and continue to support Obamacare. Because once we invoke cloture, Mr. President, the focus will turn to our friends on the other side of the aisle — the Senate Democrats. …

“I just don’t happen to think filibustering a bill that defunds Obamacare is the best route to defunding Obamacare. All it does is shut down the government and keep Obamacare funded, and none of us want that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvr-iJsg0Ig&feature=youtu.be