WASHINGTON _ Sen. Ted Cruz has found a signature issue for this year's government funding debate _ but this year the Texas Republican may be in tactical agreement with more mainstream Republicans.
"The Obama administration's proposal to give away the internet is an extraordinary threat to our freedom and it's one most Americans don't know anything about," Cruz wrote in a fundraising message to supporters Tuesday.
Cruz also released a new video pushing against planned changes to Internet governance.
Oversight of the Internet domain naming system is set to shift on Oct. 1 from the U.S. government to a global organization that includes China and Russia.
Unlike the Cruz-led 2013 funding fight over the health care overhaul that helped trigger a government shutdown, the internet issue could force concessions, or at least meaningful negotiations.
Lawmakers are working on a provision to attach to a stopgap spending package that would delay the transition, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Tuesday.
"Most people, my impression is, would like to have delay so we have more time to look at this and understand it better and make sure we're protected," Cornyn said. "And that's, I think, what we're working on."
Senate Finance Chairman Orrin G. Hatch is among those pushing a delay. The Utah Republican previously authored a resolution that was adopted unanimous by the Senate calling for changes before any shift to international oversight takes place.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday that Cruz was trying to hold up the stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution. Cruz's office declined to address the charge.
In a statement, Cruz said that there has been a longstanding spending provision that would bar President Barack Obama's administration from facilitating this transition.
"This has long been part of the appropriations process and the continuing resolution should continue that and strengthen it," Cruz said. "I am hopeful that before the September 30 deadline Congress will show leadership and protect freedom on the internet."
Conservative groups including Heritage Action and the Conservative Action Project have come out against the transition as well. Many technology interests want the transition to proceed, in order to ensure the stability and openness of the internet.
Several other GOP senators, including Commerce Chairman John Thune of South Dakota and Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, have argued for delaying the transition from happening.
Grassley told Roll Call on Tuesday that he planned to participate in a conversation about the issue at one of the Republican conference's lunch meetings this week.
Such a provision would block funds from being used to implement the transition, but Thune said Monday evening it's not clear if that alone would actually block the transition from taking place.
If a provision related to the Internet governance is not included in the continuing resolution, Cruz could slow down the funding measure. For the Senate to move the resolution quickly, lawmakers would have to come to an agreement to give up allotted time for debate. Senate leaders have expressed the hope they may finish work on a CR late this week or early next.
It's not clear whether Cruz will agree to waive time for debate, as negotiators are still working on whether they can attach such a provision to the government funding measure. But Reid is expecting that Cruz will put up a fight, and alluded to a 2013 government shutdown.
"Unfortunately this is what we've come to expect from my friend, the junior senator from Texas," Reid said on the Senate floor Tuesday. "When the Senate has a deadline, he tries to obstruct government funding bills. So we have our work cut out for us."
