Cruz's shock turnaround

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) hinted all week that he was willing to play hardball to get a vote on his aircraft safety bill.

Why it matters: In the end, he passed it without even a vote, via unanimous consent. For a bill that was in search of a legislative vehicle for several weeks, it was a remarkable turnaround.

• Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, also included language that would strike Section 373, the controversial provision we told you about earlier this week that the House attached to the National Defense Authorization Act.
• ROTOR – and language to strike Section 373 – now goes to the House as the country approaches the first anniversary of the fatal Jan. 29, 2025 collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight above the capital.

Between the lines: Cruz also extracted public praise from the Pentagon for his bill.

• "The department supports this legislation," Sean Parnell, a spokesman for the Department of Defense, said in a statement.
• Expect Cruz to use the Pentagon's support to pressure the House to move quickly and accept all of his changes.

P.S. Immediately after ROTOR sailed through the Senate, Jared Isaacman received his confirmation vote to serve as NASA administrator.

— Hans Nichols