Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzMcConnell works to lock down GOP votes for coronavirus bill Senate to vote Thursday on GOP coronavirus bill Michael Cohen suggests Jerry Falwell’s Trump endorsement was ‘favor’ for hiding racy photos MORE (R-Texas) said on Wednesday that he will support a GOP coronavirus proposal — a win for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell works to lock down GOP votes for coronavirus bill On The Money: Senate GOP unveils slimmed-down coronavirus relief bill | Democrats call GOP bill dead on arrival | Military members can’t opt out of Trump’s payroll tax deferral Overnight Health Care: Drug companies issue joint pledge on vaccine safety amid political fears | Senate to vote Thursday on GOP coronavirus relief bill | Iowa coronavirus cases surpass 70,000 MORE (R-Ky.) who is working to unify the caucus behind the bill. 

“Well I expect to vote for the more targeted relief bill. …I expect that we will get all or virtually all of the Republicans,” Cruz said during an interview with CNBC. 

Cruz, a firebrand conservative who has at times clashed with leadership, was a vocal critic of the previous $1.1 trillion package offered by Senate Republicans in late July. In a clash that quickly went public, he asked his Republican colleagues during a closed-door lunch “what in the hell are we doing?”

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But McConnell has been working to lock down GOP votes, including Cruz’s, ahead of a Thursday vote on a scaled-down, smaller coronavirus relief bill estimated to be worth roughly half of the original Republican bill. 

The GOP bill won’t get the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate. But Republican leadership wants, and appears poised to get, 51 votes, a stark turnaround from McConnell’s previous prediction that up to 20 of his 53-member caucus wouldn’t support any additional COVID-19 relief. 

Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulMcConnell works to lock down GOP votes for coronavirus bill Hidden Trump voters could have big November impact White House says Trump ‘does not want to invoke Insurrection Act’ after he raised idea MORE (R-Ky.) has signaled he is a no, but other Republicans including Sen. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyMcConnell works to lock down GOP votes for coronavirus bill Senate GOP unveils slimmed-down coronavirus relief bill Conservatives press for concessions in GOP coronavirus relief bill MORE (R-Mo.) and Ben SasseBenjamin (Ben) Eric SassePence dismisses QAnon conspiracy theory ‘out of hand’ China’s Confucius Institute designated as a foreign mission of Beijing Big Ten conference officially cancels fall football season due to coronavirus MORE (R-Neb.) haven’t said how they will vote. 

The GOP plan includes a $300 per week federal unemployment benefit, another round of Paycheck Protection Program funding, $105 billion for schools and an additional $16 billion for coronavirus testing.

It also includes some concessions to conservatives and fiscal hawks, including measures to recoup billions in unspent money from the $2.2 trillion bill passed in March. 

The legislation also includes two years of education-related tax credits sought by Cruz related to school choice. Cruz touted its inclusion on Wednesday, telling CNBC that he was a “passionate, passionate” advocate for school choice.

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