Cruz may sign up for Obamacare

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz surprised both backers and opponents of the Affordable Care Act by saying he was considering signing his family up. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz surprised both backers and opponents of the Affordable Care Act by saying he was considering signing his family up. Photo: Victor J. Blue Photo: Victor J. Blue Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Cruz may sign up for Obamacare 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz may sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act while he is running for president on a platform that aims to repeal President Barack Obama's signature domestic law.

"Senator Cruz said he would 'presumably' use his employer health insurance, for which the only option is Obamacare," his spokesman, Rick Tyler, said Tuesday.

"But there are other options that the senator is considering before making a final decision about how to make sure his family is insured."

The clarification from Cruz's camp came after an interview in which he hinted he would sign up for coverage through the health care law's exchanges.

"We will presumably go on the exchange and sign up for health care, and we're in the process of transitioning over to do that," Cruz told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday.

The senator's wife, Heidi, has taken a temporary leave of absence from her job at the investment firm Goldman Sachs, where she is a managing director, to campaign for her husband.

Cruz was covered on his wife's health insurance policy until her leave of absence.

He made clear he was not deterred by his own circumstances, however.

"I believe in 2017 a new president, a Republican president, will sign legislation repealing every word of it," Cruz said, referring the federal health care law.

He also skirted around whether his upcoming insurance change has frustrated him.

"Well, it is written in the law that members will be on the exchanges without subsidies just like millions of Americans, so that's - I think the same rules should apply to all of us. Members of Congress should not be exempt," Cruz told the Iowa newspaper.

Under the law, all federal lawmakers are required to sign up for insurance through the exchanges if they cannot obtain coverage another way.

As the senator tries to maintain any momentum he got from being the first to enter the presidential race Monday, the Obamacare possibility is a deeply ironic turn for Cruz - and his foes quickly pounced.

The Texas Democratic Party, which has used any Cruz development to fire off a fundraising email pitch, simply said #ThanksObama, a popular meme and Twitter hashtag used mockingly by the president's supporters.

"We're glad that, in Senator Cruz's time of need, the Affordable Care Act is there for him and his family, providing them with quality, affordable health care options, just like it has provided for over 1 million Texans," said Emmanuel Garcia, the state party's deputy executive director.

"Sen. Cruz may not be willing to say it, but thanks, President Obama."