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Cruz is speaking on the Senate floor "until I am no longer able to stand," he said, as a protest intended to prevent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Harry Mason ReidSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Mellman: The likely voter sham Bottom line MORE (D-Nev.) from stripping the bill of the provision that defunds ObamaCare.

A Paul aide said that the senator, who famously launched a talking filibuster of John Brennan's nomination as CIA director to focus attention on President Obama's policy on drones earlier this year, will join Cruz on the floor to offer "reinforcements" sometime later today. It's unclear how long Paul will talk, or what he's expected to say.



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt MORE (R-Ky.) is opposed to Cruz's gambit.



"Senator McConnell supports the House Republicans' bill and will not vote to block it, since it defunds ObamaCare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny," McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said Monday in a statement. "He will also vote against any amendment that attempts to add Obamacare funding back into the House Republicans' bill."



Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is expected to advance H.J.Res. 59 with an amendment to remove the House language that defunds ObamaCare.



A vote to end debate on the motion to proceed is expected Wednesday, and Cruz's actions cannot stop that from happening.

— Ramsey Cox contributed reporting.

