Ted Cruz Urges Mike Johnson to Recall House Early to Pass College Sports Bill

Senator Ted Cruz is urging House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to call House members back from campaigning to pass the Protect College Sports Act. The Senate passed the bill on Monday, and the House is not scheduled to take it up until after the midterm elections.

The Texas Republican, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee and wrote the bill with Washington Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, made the pitch on Wednesday's episode of his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz. He said he had already made the case to Johnson in person.

"I want the speaker to call the house back," Cruz said. "The house is scheduled to be gone until Election Day."

Ted Cruz's Pitch to Speaker Mike Johnson

Cruz said he spent half an hour with Johnson at what he called the Republican convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, before the Senate vote. "I said, look, if we get it done, you ought to call the house back," Cruz recalled, calling Johnson "a close friend" and "a great American."

"And by the way, the house can move fast. It's not long. Unlike the Senate, the house can pass that in a day," he said.

Cruz argued that a quick vote would help Republicans on the ballot. "All your members are running for reelect. Then come back, pass this bill in 24 hours," he said he told Johnson, adding that the bill "pulls north of 80/20." He did not name a poll. A survey of 1,600 likely voters, taken June 23-25 for the advocacy group Saving College Sports, found 72 percent supported the bill.

Cruz acknowledged the political climate. "This is a rough election season. That's no secret," he said. Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 48 percent to 39.8 percent in PolitiKool's polling average, and even Steve Bannon has conceded the GOP's midterm risk.

What Johnson and Donald Trump Have Said

Cruz also described a private conversation with President Donald Trump the night the bill passed. "He was elated," Cruz said. "And President Trump wants the House to come back." That account is Cruz's own. CBS Sports reported that Trump had earlier pressed House leaders to return in October.

Johnson has signaled a different timeline. CBS Sports reported that the speaker expects the House won't take up the bill until it returns on November 9, six days after the election. When Johnson canceled votes on September 17, he said, "It's time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people," though he said he would "bring the House back on 48-hours' notice" if the Senate passed important legislation, CBS News reported.

CBS Sports also reported that House Republicans want changes to the bill, including an outright ban on classifying athletes as employees and a cap on international players. Any changes would send the bill back to the Senate before the current Congress ends on January 3.

How the Senate Voted on the Protect College Sports Act

Cruz said the bill got 77 votes, "every Republican, but two," and a majority of the Democratic caucus, with Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who was absent, making 78. The Senate roll call bears that out: the bill passed 77-22. Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Rick Scott of Florida voted no, and 27 of the 47 members of the Democratic caucus voted yes.

The bill would set national rules for name, image and likeness deals, transfers and eligibility, and would give the NCAA and conferences antitrust protection for enforcing those rules, NPR reported. On the podcast, Cruz warned that without it, college football could shrink to "30 to 50 competitive football programs," which he called "basically a mini NFL."

A College GameDay Signing Before Election Day

Cruz said he has suggested to Trump that he sign the bill on the set of ESPN's College GameDay. He floated Texas A&M against Alabama in mid-October as the venue, and he turned down Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy's pitch of Texas at LSU because that game falls the week after the election. "We need it before election day," Cruz said.

Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt, a co-sponsor who appeared as a guest, said the House could do it "like in a day, day and a half."

Cruz stopped short of predicting a pre-election vote. "Look, does it happen for election day or not? I don't know for sure," he said.