GOP senators amused as Ted Cruz seeks to move bill: ‘The foot’s on the other hand’

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has become the subject of much bemusement among his Senate GOP colleagues as he has taken a detour from his role as a conservative rabble-rouser to playing the lead on reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Texas senator, long known for stirring up trouble for leadership, has suddenly gone in the reverse as he has prodded Republicans against gumming up the works for the last must-pass bill in Congress for months.

But the irony is not lost on lawmakers who have watched Cruz’s mischief up close and personal, especially on government spending battles throughout the years.

“It’s been entertaining to be able to watch,” one Senate Republican told The Hill before quoting the movie “Airplane!” “What’s the old Hollywood joke? ‘The foot’s on the other hand.’”