Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016
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 Ted Cruz |
U.S. Senator (Assumed office: 2013) |
 Republican candidate: |
2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
- See also: Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz was a Republican candidate for the office of President of the United States in 2016.
Cruz announced the launch of his campaign in a tweet on March 23, 2015.[2] He suspended his presidential campaign on May 3, 2016, after losing the Indiana Republican primary to Donald Trump.[1] He told supporters, "From the beginning I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed. The voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign."[3]
Cruz is a Republican member of the United States Senate from Texas. He won election to the Senate on November 6, 2012.[4]
Cruz, who was born in Canada, has an American mother and a Cuban father; in 2014, he officially renounced his Canadian dual citizenship. "The renunciation became official on May 14, roughly 9 months after he learned he wasn’t only an American," according to the Dallas Morning News.[5] "The U.S. Constitution requires presidents to be 'natural born' citizens, which is commonly believed to include Americans born with the right to citizenship, even if they were not born on American soil specifically," according to Time.[6]
In 2016 candidate rankings, Crowdpac ranked Cruz as a 9.9C (C being conservative) on a scale ranging from 10L to 10C.[7] In 2016, Cruz received a grade of a "B+/88" from the Leadership Project for America PAC.[8]
Cruz won the Republican Iowa caucuses on February 1, 2016, with 28 percent of the vote. He upset Donald Trump who had been tipped by several polls—including the Des Moines Register poll[9]—to win Iowa. Trump received 24 percent of the vote, followed closely by Marco Rubio with 23 percent.
On the issues
 |
| Quick facts about Cruz |
|---|
| Birthday: December 22, 1970 |
| Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Alma maters: Princeton University
Harvard Law School |
| Career: U.S. Senator, Texas (3 years)
Solicitor General of Texas (6 years) |
| Spouse: Heidi Cruz |
| Children: Catherine and Caroline |
| Religion: Southern Baptist |
| Public policy in the 2016 election |
|---|
| Budgets and Taxes Education Common Core Student debt Energy Clean Power Plan Fracking Environment Climate change Healthcare Medicaid and Medicare Obamacare Redistricting Voting Rights Act Voter ID |
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| Hover over the words for information about the issue and links to related articles. |
Economic and fiscal
Taxes
- Cruz wrote an op-ed in USA Today on April 25, 2016, calling for tax reform. “Sunday was Tax Freedom Day, marking the first point in the year in which Americans have earned enough to pay their 2015 tax bill. Four straight months — that’s how long it takes for the hardworking people of this country to fund the bloated government. It shouldn’t take us a third of the year simply to pay the government, much less spend billions of hours and dollars of our time to do so. … Instead, I have proposed the Simple Flat Tax, which scraps the existing tax code and replaces it with a much simpler, fairer and more pro-growth system. It collapses the existing seven individual rates into one flat rate of 10% for everyone, abolishes the IRS as we know it, and dismantles the Washington Cartel by cutting off their access to the tax code as a political weapon. All Americans will be able to fill out their taxes on a postcard or phone app — in a matter of minutes,” Cruz outlined.[12]
- While discussing the details of his flat tax plan in a radio interview on April 15, 2016, Ted Cruz accused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of corruption. “The IRS is absolutely corrupt. It is facilitating illegal immigration. The commissioner has been a party to lawlessness. Indeed the IRS has persecuted American citizens who were perceived to be political opponents of the President. It has gone after conservative groups, it’s gone after tea party groups, it’s gone after pro-life groups, it’s gone after pro-Israel groups, it’s gone after groups that simply defend the Constitution, that’s deemed inconsistent with the political priorities of the Obama administration and that is an abuse of power,” he said.[13]
- At the eleventh Republican debate on March 3, 2016, Cruz explained how the federal government could collect taxes if he abolished the IRS, saying, “So my simple flat tax I have rolled out in precise detail how it will operate where every American can fill out our taxes on a postcard. And if you want to actually see the postcard, see all the details, you can find them on our Web site. It's tedcruz.org. When he we get rid of all the corporate welfare, all the subsidies, all the carve-outs in the IRS code, it dramatically simplifies it. And under Obama, the IRS has become so corrupt and so politicized we need to abolish it all together. Now, at the end of that there will still be an office in the Treasury Department to receive the postcards but it will be dramatically simpler.”[14]
- On October 28, 2015, Ted Cruz unveiled his tax plan. He proposed a 10 percent flat tax on all individual income from wages. He also proposed elimination of the payroll tax and the corporate income tax, to be replaced by a 16 percent Business flat tax. Cruz said that social security and medicare will remain fully funded, despite elimination of the payroll tax, which funds those programs. Cruz's plan also included a Universal Savings Account, which would allow every American to save up to $25,000 annually on a tax-deferred basis for any purpose. Cruz also promised no estate tax, alternative minimum tax or ObamaCare taxes, and would do away with taxes on profits earned abroad.[15] An analysis by the Tax Foundation, a group that supports lower tax rates, said the senator's reforms would "represent a significant shift from the current tax code." The group estimated Cruz’s proposals would increase the deficit by as much as $3.6 trillion over the next 10 years, but that figure drops to a $768 billion deficit when including possible economic growth.[16] The libertarian Cato Institute said Cruz's corporate business activity tax is essentially a value-added tax. The proposal is similar to a sales tax, since it's assumed that businesses will pass the cost of paying it onto consumers. "He says he wants a 'business flat tax,' but what he’s really proposing is a value-added tax," Cato said.[17] [18]
- Cruz has been very critical of the IRS and the extra scrutiny it gave conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. He has frequently called for abolishing the agency. At a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on July 29, 2015, investigating the Internal Revenue Service scandal, Cruz said that “If the IRS has become a partisan arm of the Democratic National Committee, there can be no stronger argument for ending the IRS as we know it, so that no Administration, Democrat or Republican, can use the IRS to target its political opponents.”[19]
Banking policy
- Ted Cruz said on November 11, 2015, that he did not believe that the Glass-Steagall Act "drove" the 2008 financial crisis. Instead, he said, "The Fed’s policy destabilizing our money contributed powerfully both to the bubble and collapse.”[20]
- At the fourth Republican primary debate on November 10, 2015, Cruz discussed his position on the Federal Reserve and its role in the economy. He said, "I would not bail them [big banks] out, but instead of adjusting monetary policy according to whims and getting it wrong over and over again and causing booms and busts, what the Fed should be doing is, number one, keeping our money tied to a stable level of gold, and, number two, serving as a lender of last resort. That's what central banks do. So if you have a run on the bank, the Fed can serve as a lender of last resort, but it's not a bailout. It is a loan at higher interest rates. That's how central banks have worked. And I'll point out -- look, we had a gold standard under Bretton Woods, we had it for about 170 years of our nation's history, and enjoyed booming economic growth and lower inflation than we have had with the Fed now. We need to get back to sound money, which helps, in particular, working men and women."[21]
- In July 2015, Cruz introduced S 1804 - Repeal CFPB Act to abolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He said in a statement, "The agency continues to grow in power and magnitude without any accountability to Congress and the people. The only way to stop this runaway agency is by eliminating it altogether.”[22][23]
- While speaking at CNBC's Delivering Alpha Conference in July 2015, Cruz accused Wall Street of enabling the Dodd-Frank Act, which, he argued, has "killed hundreds and even thousands of small financial institutions." Business Insider reported that Cruz also "maintained that Wall Street didn't deserve a financial crisis bailout."[24]
- In an op-ed that appeared in the National Review during his 2012 Senate campaign, Cruz condemned the impact the Sarbanes-Oxley Act had on the stock market. He wrote, "Today, American businesses spend twice as much complying with needlessly burdensome regulations than they spend on income taxes. Complying with the audit requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley alone costs nearly $100,000 per business per year, a crushing burden for privately held startups seeking to go public. Since Sarbanes-Oxley, new listings on American stock exchanges have plummeted. We should at a minimum exempt small and medium-businesses from the unnecessary audit requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley, to restore an historic pillar of America’s prosperity: access to affordable public capital to expand businesses and create jobs."[25]
Government regulations
- Ted Cruz co-sponsored S 2153, Sen. Marco Rubio's National Regulatory Budget Act of 2014, which proposed requiring an annual report determining the costs for federal regulations.[26]
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S 2617 – Davis-Bacon Repeal Act, which proposed repealing "the Davis-Bacon Act (which requires that the locally prevailing wage rate be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working under federally-financed or federally-assisted contracts for construction, alteration, and repair of public buildings or public works)."[27]
- During a 2013 speech in Lubbock, Texas, Cruz attributed lack of economic growth to government regulation. He said, "From what I understand, economic growth is not going to come from a bunch of politicians in Washington, it’s going to come from y’all. It is going to come from the private sector. But the No. 1 thing government can do to encourage that growth is get out of the way."[28]
- In 2013, Cruz co-sponsored S 15 - REINS Act, Sen. Rand Paul's REINS Act, which proposed increasing "accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process."[29]
International trade
- During the March 10, 2016, Republican debate, CNN moderator Jake Tapper said to Ted Cruz, "[Y]ou were a supporter of the Pacific trade deal, but after taking some heat from conservatives, you changed your position. Why should these voters who don't like these trade deals trust that you will fight for them all the time and not just in election years?" Cruz replied, "Actually that's incorrect. There are two different agreements. There's TPA and TPP. I opposed TPP and have always opposed TPP, which is what you asked about. And when it comes to trade, look, free trade, when we open up foreign markets, helps Americans. But we're getting killed in international trade right now. And we're getting killed because we have an administration that's doesn't look out for American workers and jobs are going overseas. We're driving jobs overseas. And the people who are losing out are in manufacturing jobs, or the steel industry or the auto industry. But I'll tell you who else is going to be losing out, which is the service industry. This Obama administration is negotiating the Trade in Services Agreement which is another treaty to allow services to come in and take jobs from Americans as well. And you've got to understand. Trade and immigration are interwoven, and they are hurting the working men and women of this country. So the question is, what's the solution? It's easy to talk about the problems. But do you have a solution to fix it? And I think the solution is several things. Number one, we need to negotiate trade deals protecting American workers first, not the corporate board room. Number two, we need to lift the regulations on American businesses here so we see jobs coming back. And number three, we need a tax plan like the tax plan I've introduced that will not tax exports and that will tax imports, and that will bring millions of high-paying jobs back to America."[30]
- On November 20, 2015, Cruz said that although he supports free trade, he does not support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. He said, “There are a number of Republicans on that (debate) stage who support TPP, who support (the Trade Promotion Authority). I voted against TPA and I intend to vote against TPP. ... I believe we can negotiate a much better agreement with a strong conservative president than we have with Barack Obama."[31]
- On November 12, 2015, Cruz said that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal should not be voted on during a lame-duck session. “No conservative would want a bunch of members who have just been defeated or [are] retiring passing big government liberal policies with Obama in office. TPP needs to be voted on when members are accountable,” Cruz said.[32]
- On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Cruz was one of five Republicans to vote against the bill. [33]
- On June 23, 2015, Cruz published an op-ed in Breitbart explaining why he no longer supported trade promotion authority (TPA). After stating he still believed in free trade, Cruz expressed concern that the version of TPA being offered in Congress was the product of "backroom deal-making" and a potential catalyst "for sweeping changes in our laws that trade agreements typically do not include" like immigration reform and the extension of the Export-Import Bank. Cruz stated, "Enough is enough. I cannot vote for TPA unless McConnell and Boehner both commit publicly to allow the Ex-Im Bank to expire—and stay expired. And, Congress must also pass the Cruz-Sessions amendments to TPA to ensure that no trade agreement can try to back-door changes to our immigration laws. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to vote no."[34]
- On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Cruz voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill.[35][36]
- In an April 21, 2015, op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Cruz and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) urged Congress to pass Trade promotion authority (TPA), which they argued would hold the president accountable in future trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. They wrote, "Under TPA, Congress lays out three basic requirements for the administration. First, it must pursue nearly 150 specific negotiating objectives, like beefing up protections for U.S. intellectual property or eliminating kickbacks for government-owned firms. Second, the administration must consult regularly with Congress and meet high transparency standards. And third, before anything becomes law, Congress gets the final say. The Constitution vests all legislative power in Congress. So TPA makes it clear that Congress—and only Congress—can change U.S. law. If the administration meets all the requirements, Congress will give the agreement an up-or-down vote. But if the administration fails, Congress can hit the brakes, cancel the vote and stop the agreement. Trade-promotion authority will hold the administration accountable both to Congress and to the American people. Under TPA, any member of Congress will be able to read the negotiating text. Any member will be able to get a briefing from the U.S. trade representative’s office on the status of the negotiations—at any time. Any member will get to be a part of negotiating rounds. And most important, TPA will require the administration to post the full text of the agreement at least 60 days before completing the deal, so the American people can read it themselves. ...By establishing TPA, Congress will send a signal to the world. America’s trading partners will know that the U.S. is trustworthy and then put their best offers on the table. America’s rivals will know that the U.S. is serious and won’t abandon the field. And the American people will know this trade agreement is a good, fair deal—because they’ll have the information they need to decide for themselves. Promoting American trade will create more opportunity in the country, and so we strongly urge our colleagues in Congress to vote for trade-promotion authority."[37]
Budgets
- In 2013, Ted Cruz co-sponsored S.J.Res.7, which proposed adding a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.[38]
Agricultural subsidies
- During the seventh Republican presidential primary debate on January 28, 2016, Ted Cruz reiterated his opposition to energy subsidies and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): “I think God has blessed this country with enormous natural resources, and we should pursue all of the above. We should be developing oil, and gas, and coal, and nuclear, and wind, and solar, and ethanol, and biofuels. But, I don't believe that Washington should be picking winners and losers. And, I think there should be no mandates, and no subsidies whatsoever. And, indeed, my tax plan that I've introduced, it's available on our website. It's a simple flat tax for everyone. It'll produce enormous economic growth, and it eliminates every mandate, every subsidy, so there's no subsidies for oil and gas, no subsidies for anyone. Now, it is true that there are a bunch of lobbyists, and a bunch of Democrats in this state spending millions of dollars trying to convince the people of Iowa that I somehow oppose ethanol. It's not true. I have introduced legislation that would phase out the ethanol mandate over five years, but that is in the context of having no mandates whatsoever for anyone. And, I would not that there's a much more important government regulation to ethanol, and that's the EPA's blend wall that makes it illegal to sell mid-level blends of ethanol in gasoline. I will...... Tear down the EPA's blend wall which will enable ethanol to expand its market share by up to 60%, all without mandates. All without any government mandates whatsoever through the marketplace. And, I'll note finally, Chris, there is a reason that Iowa's Congressman Steve King, perhaps the fiercest defender of farmers in this state, is sharing my campaign. Because he understands that I'm committed to a fair, and level playing field for every energy source without lobbyists, and without Washington picking winners and losers.[39]
- In response to criticism from Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), Cruz restated his opposition to the ethanol mandates that Branstad supports. "There should be no mandates, no subsidies whatsoever for any energy source, whether ethanol or oil and gas or anything else," Cruz told a crowd in New Hampshire.[40]
- On January 19, 2016, Branstad called for Cruz to be defeated in the state's Republican caucuses February 1, 2016, CNN reported. Brandstad's comments were made to a small group of reporters at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, where several 2016 presidential candidates are spoke. Branstad labeled Cruz a "big oil" candidate whose victory would be "very damaging to our state." He added, "It would be a big mistake for Iowa to support him. And I know he's ahead in the polls but the only poll that counts is the one they take on caucus night and I think that could change between now and then."[41]Cruz has drawn criticism over his opposition to federal ethanol subsidies, which are important to Iowa's farm-based economy.[42]
- On December 1, 2015, Cruz’s campaign asked for an ad released by America's Renewable Future, “an advocacy group that champions the ethanol-friendly federal mandate,” to be removed from Iowa radio stations. The advertisement says, "Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil, but want to end support for ethanol. Cruz backs policies that threaten rural Iowa and thousands of jobs." According to The Des Moines Register, “Cruz campaign aides say it's incorrect because Cruz is opposed to all energy subsidies, including for oil companies.”[43]
Federal assistance programs
- In April 2013 Ted Cruz said, "I think it should be a bipartisan priority to strengthen Social Security and Medicare to preserve the benefits for existing seniors and to enact fundamental reform to ensure that those programs remain strong and vital for generations to come."[44]
Labor and employment
- Ted Cruz released a statement on September 7, 2015, to commemorate Labor Day and criticze the Obama administration for “stifling growth and opportunity.” He added, “But with strong Presidential leadership, we can turn things around quickly: we can eliminate onerous regulations, repeal Obamacare, simplify the tax code, and welcome job creation in every sector – from energy to manufacturing to agriculture. We can champion hardworking Americans. If we stand together for working men and women, we will reignite the promise of America.”[45]
- In 2013, Cruz co-sponsored S 204 – the National Right-to-Work Act, which proposed implementing right-to-work at the national level.[46]
- During his 2012 Senate campaign, Cruz wrote, "The private sector — entrepreneurs risking capital to meet a demonstrated need — creates jobs. Government doesn’t create jobs. But government can kill jobs. And the Obama administration has waged an unrelenting war on jobs, perhaps not deliberately, but out of an ideological zealotry and dedication to big government and central control of the economy."[47]
- In an op-ed which appeared in the National Review during his 2012 Senate campaign, Cruz wrote, "Currently, the NLRB is trying to force Boeing to fire thousands of workers from its factory in Charleston because South Carolina is a right-to-work state. Incredibly, the NLRB’s position is that, if Boeing closed the plant and moved all the jobs overseas, that would be fine, but it cannot employ U.S. workers in manufacturing jobs unless they are subject to union bosses and pay mandatory union dues. This makes no sense, and must stop."[47]
Foreign affairs
Iran nuclear deal
- During his speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference on March 21, 2016, Ted Cruz said that under his administration “America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel.” He also criticized the Iran nuclear deal, saying, “I will rip this catastrophic Iranian deal to shreds. … Either you [Iran] will shut down your nuclear programme. Or we will shut it down for you. … I believe this Iranian deal is Munich in 1938.”[48]
- Speaking at the Values Voter Summit on September 25, 2015, Ted Cruz implied the United States should kill the ayatollah of Iran if he tried to acquire nuclear weapons. He said, “If you vote for me, under no circumstances will Iran be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. And if the ayatollah doesn’t understand that, we may have to help introduce him to his 72 virgins.”[49]
- Cruz strongly opposed the Iran deal during the September 2015 GOP debate, despite challenges from John Kasich on the stage. “If I am elected president, on the very first day in office, I will rip to shreds this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal,” Cruz stated.[50]
- Cruz published an op-ed in USA Today on September 10, 2015, to protest the Iran nuclear deal. He argued the agreement makes the Obama administration “the world’s leading financier of radical Islamic terrorism,” “abandons” four American hostages held in Iran and facilitates Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons.[51]
- On September 1, 2015, American Thinker released on interview with Cruz where he stated his opposition to the Iran deal. “The U.S. and Israel are joined by the Iranian rhetoric that calls Israel ‘The Little Satan,’ and the U.S. ‘The Big Satan.’ Their intention is to murder both of us. We face an enemy that hates us and has been very explicit that they intend to do everything they can to kill Israelis and us. These enemies are driven by a radical theological view that glorifies death and suicide. This deal harkens back to the Munich Deal of 1938, allowing homicidal maniacs to acquire weapons of mass murder,” said Cruz. He continued, “The Obama Administration will become the leading financier of radical Islamist terrorism. Billions of dollars will go to Iran that will be passed on to terrorists across the world to murder Americans and Israelis. A consequence of this deal will be that the Obama administration will have directly financed the next 9/11.”[52]
- Cruz introduced a resolution on July 30, 2015, to delay the 60-day review period of the Iran nuclear deal until the Obama administration released all materials related to the agreement, including “side deals” between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.[53]
- On July 21, 2015, Cruz discussed his thoughts on the possible repercussions of the Iran deal. Cruz said, "If Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, one of the most dangerous things it could do with it is load that weapon onto a ship anywhere in the Atlantic, fire the warhead straight into the air, into the atmosphere. If you get high enough and detonate that warhead, it would set off an electromagnetic pulse, what is called an EMP. That EMP could shut down the entire electrical grid on the Eastern seaboard, could take down our stock market, our financial systems, but even more importantly could take down food delivery, water delivery, heat, air conditioning, transportation. The projections are that one nuclear warhead in the atmosphere over the Eastern seaboard could result in tens of millions of Americans dying."[54]
- On July 14, 2015, Cruz called the final Iran deal "staggeringly bad." He also said, "It is a fundamental betrayal of the security of the United States and of our closest allies, first and foremost Israel."[55]
- On April 17, 2015, Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry arguing that because "discrepancies on key elements of the (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) framework have come to light," the P5+1 and Iran should "make public a joint framework agreement outlining the parameters that have been agreed upon, and those that will be addressed in the event negotiations continue in both classified and unclassified form." To read Cruz's letter click here.[56]
- On April 3, 2015, Cruz released the following statement on the Iran nuclear deal: "President Obama's agreement with Iran, the details of which he has largely kept secret, is as he said 'historic' because of the catastrophic risk it poses to the security of the United States and our allies. The so-called deal, unilaterally arranged without any consultation with Congress, lifts sanctions and effectively puts Iran on the path to the bomb after a 10-year horizon. The likelihood of Iran using those weapons against Israel, which its leaders call ‘little Satan' and have explicitly said they would like to 'erase off the map' and America, which it calls 'the Great Satan,' is unacceptably high. Under no circumstance should a U.S. President lift sanctions and grant nuclear capability to a nation that proudly chants 'Death to America.' ...This is a very bad deal and it is a grim day for America. President Obama is right to be concerned that it will likely face considerable opposition from the American people and their representatives in Congress. Because absent Congress' consent, it will not be binding when President Obama leaves office."[57]
Military preparedness and budget
- During a campaign event on February 16, 2016, in South Carolina, Ted Cruz discussed rebuilding the military and the culture of “political correctness” at the Pentagon. Veterans are a significant voting block in the state and the speech comes as Marco Rubio has criticized Cruz for voting against military spending. Cruz said, "I am confident that if we put in the hard work we can, as Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s, rebuild our military so it will be so feared by our enemies and trusted by our allies that, God willing, we won't have to use it. That is the essence of what President Reagan used to call 'peace through strength.'" He added, "That's why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experiments -- or providing gluten-free MREs.”[58]
- Cruz broke from other Republicans on February 7, 2016, saying he did not support requiring women to register for the draft. Said Cruz, “My reaction was, 'Are you guys nuts?' We have had enough with political correctness especially in the military. Political correctness is dangerous and the idea that we would draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military and put them in close combat, I think is wrong. And if I am president, we ain't doing it! I'm the father of two little girls, and I love those little girls with all my heart. They are capable of doing anything in their heart's desire. But the idea that their government would forcibly put them in a foxhole with a 220-pound psychopath trying to kill them doesn't make any sense at all. It's yet one more sign of this politically correct world where we forget common sense.”[59]
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Cruz discussed the current military rules of engagement: "I have visited with active duty military, with veterans over and over and over again in town halls all over the state of New Hampshire. What we are doing to our sons and daughters, it is immoral. We are sending them into [sic] fight with their arms tied behind their back. They cannot defend themselves. And it is wrong. And I will tell you this. Look. America has always been reluctant to use military force. It's the last step we take. But if and when we use it when it comes to defeating ISIS, we should use it. We should use overwhelming force, kill the enemy and then get the heck out. Don't engage in nation-building but instead, allow our soldiers to do their jobs instead of risking their lives with politicians making it impossible to accomplish the objective."[60]
- During a 2014 interview, Ted Cruz said, "I think it is a mistake to confuse war-weariness with an unwillingness of the American people to defend our national security interests. So for example, if you look at the willingness of the American people to act, and to act if necessarily (sic) militarily, to prevent the nation of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, you see considerable support among the American people for protecting our national security, not for invading a nation and staying there for decades, but for acting to defend ourselves against clear and present dangers. I don’t think the American people have retreated from a willingness to defend our nation."[61]
National security
- During a press conference on March 23, 2016, President Obama criticized Ted Cruz for recommending U.S. Muslim communities be monitored for radicalization. He said, “As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighborhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country that engages in that kind of neighborhood surveillance, which by the way, the father of Sen. Cruz escaped for America, the land of the free. The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It's contrary to who we are. And it's not going to help us defeat ISIL.”[62]
- While defending his proposal to surveil Muslim communities during a CBS interview on March 23, 2016, Ted Cruz pointed to a similar but now defunct program enacted in New York City following the September 11 terrorist attacks. When CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell challenged that that initiative had not been effective, Cruz said, "It is true that the de Blasio political henchman say that. It is also true that the NYPD said it provided valuable intelligence." NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton responded that Cruz had "no idea what the hell he's talking about."[63]
- In response to the terrorist attacks that took place on March 22, 2016, in Brussels, Belgium, Ted Cruz issued a statement calling for the U.S. government to stop accepting refugees from “countries with a significant al-Qaeda or ISIS presence” and “to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.” Alice Stewart, a spokesperson for Cruz, added, "We know what is happening with these isolated Muslim neighborhoods in Europe. If we want to prevent it from happening here, it is going to require an empowered, visible law enforcement presence that will both identify problem spots and partner with non-radical Americans who want to protect their homes."[64]
- Ted Cruz expressed concern about the future of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base during a televised town hall on CNN on February 17, 2016. He said, “I fear by the end of this year President Obama plans to give the Guantanamo Navy Base back to Cuba. I hope he doesn’t do that. I think it is a profound risk.”[65]
International relations
- Cruz penned an op-ed in The Times of London on April 27, 2016, to express his support for Britain if it chooses to leave the European Union in contrast to President Barack Obama. “If Brexit takes place, Britain will be at the front of the line for a free trade deal with America, not at the back. There is a vast amount of trade, commerce and investment between our two nations,” Cruz wrote.[66][67]
- Cruz criticized President Obama’s trip to Cuba during an interview with CNN on March 21, 2016. He said, "As Barack Obama is sitting there sipping mojitos with brutal Communist dictators, he can't be bothered to meet the dissidents, he can't be bothered to visit with the Ladies in White, he can't be bothered to hear the screams of oppression.” During the interview, Cruz also attacked Donald Trump for saying that “the U.S. should rethink its involvement in NATO.” Cruz said, "Everything I just said, I bet you dollars to donuts Donald Trump has no idea about any of that. It has been Russia's objective, it has been Putin's objective for decades to break NATO. What Donald Trump is saying that he would unilaterally surrender to Russia and Putin, give Putin a massive foreign policy victory by breaking NATO and abandoning Europe."[68]
- Cruz wrote an op-ed in Politico on March 20, 2016, condemning President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba over the weekend. “The White House keeps saying that this trip will chart a new course for people-to-people relations, but all that Obama’s appeasement of the Castro dictatorship has done so far is create a channel for inside deals between large corporations and the Cuban military, which holds all the keys to the island’s economy. The effect will not be liberalization but rather the institutionalization of the Communist dictatorship,” he wrote.[69]
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Ted Cruz discussed how he would respond to the North Korea missile launch: "Well, I would note, initially the fact that we're seeing the launch, and we're seeing the launch from a nuclear North Korea is the direct result of the failures of the first Clinton administration. The Clinton administration led the world in relaxing sanctions against North Korea. Billions of dollars flowed into North Korea in exchange for promises not to build nuclear weapons.They took those billions and built nuclear weapons. And, I would note also the lead negotiator in that failed North Korea sanctions deal was a woman named Wendy Sherman who Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton promptly recruited to come back to be the lead negotiator with Iran. So, what we are seeing with North Korea is foreshadowing of where we will be with Iran. With respect to North Korea and what we should do now, one of the first things we should do is expand our missile defense capacity. We ought to put missile defense interceptors in South Korea. South Korea wants them. One of the real risks of this launch, North Korea wants to launch a satellite, and one of the greatest risks of the satellite is they would place a nuclear device in the satellite. As it would orbit around the Earth, and as it got over the United States they would detonate that nuclear weapon and set of what's called an EMP, and electromagnetic pulse which could take down the entire electrical grid on the Eastern seaboard, potentially killing millions. We need to harden the grid to defend ourselves, and we need missile defense to protect ourselves against North Korea."[70]
- During an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Cruz criticized the Obama administration in connection with the release of four Americans. He said, "We celebrate all of them coming home. But at the same time, this deal is a really problematic deal and it reflects a pattern we've seen in the Obama administration over and over again of negotiating with terrorists and making deals and trades that endanger U.S. safety and security.This deal, to bring back Americans who were wrongly imprisoned, we released seven terrorists who had helped Iran with their nuclear program, and we agreed not to prosecute another 14 terrorists for doing the same thing. That's 21 terrorists helping Iran develop nuclear weapons that they intend to use to try to murder us."[71]
ISIS and terrorism
- During the seventh Republican presidential primary debate on January 28, 2016, Ted Cruz talked about his plan to carpet bomb ISIS: “Well, Chris, I will apologize to nobody for the vigorousness with which I will fight terrorism, go after ISIS, hunt them down wherever they are, and utterly and completely destroy ISIS. You know, you claim it is tough talk to discuss carpet bombing. It is not tough talk. It is a different, fundamental military strategy than what we've seen from Barack Obama. Barack Obama right now, number one, over seven years, has dramatically degraded our military. You know, just two weeks ago was the 25th anniversary of the first Persian Gulf war. When that war began, we had 8,000 planes. Today, we have about 4,000. When that war began, we had 529 ships. Today, we have 272. You want to know what carpet bombing is? It's what we did in the first Persian Gulf war; 1,100 air attacks a day, saturation bombing that utterly destroyed the enemy. Right now, Barack Obama is launching between 15 and 30 air attacks a day. He's not arming the Kurds. We need to define the enemy. We need to rebuild the military to defeat the enemy. And we need to be focused and lift the rules of engagement so we're not sending our fighting men and women into combat with their arms tied behind their backs.”[72]
- Speaking with reporters during a rally in Iowa on December 5, 2015, Ted Cruz reiterated the importance of aggressive military action against the Islamic State. He said, “We won’t weaken them. We won’t degrade them. We will utterly destroy them. We will carpet bomb them into oblivion. We will arm the Kurds. We will do everything necessary so that every militant on the face of the earth will know if you go and join ISIS, if you wage jihad and declare war on America, you are signing your death warrant.”[73]
- Cruz said November 15, 2015, that Christians posed “no meaningful risk of” terrorism. He added, “ If there were a group of radical Christians pledging to murder anyone who had a different religious view than they, we would have a different national security situation. But it is precisely the Obama administration’s unwillingness to recognize that or ask those questions that makes them so unable to fight this enemy. Because they pretend as if there is no religious aspect to this.”[74]
- In a statement on his website, Cruz discussed how to proceed in the fight against ISIS after the Paris terrorist attacks. He said, "We must now face the facts. Between the downing of the Russian jet over Egypt and this massive coordinated attack on Paris, we are seeing an unmistakable escalation of ISIS’ ambitions and the scale of their terrorist attacks outside Syria and Iraq. Even as chaos rages in Paris, we need to take immediate, commonsense steps to preserve our own safety. We need to consult closely with our NATO allies who may be targeted for additional attacks. We need to immediately declare a halt to any plans to bring refugees that may have been infiltrated by ISIS to the United States. We need to redouble our efforts to prevent ISIS agents from penetrating our nation by other means. Such steps, however, are defensive reactions to an enemy that will continue to try to attack us until they succeed once again. We must immediately recognize that our enemy is not 'violent extremism.' It is the radical Islamism that has declared jihad against the west. It will not be appeased by outreach or declarations of tolerance. It will not be deterred by targeted airstrikes with zero tolerance for civilian casualties, when the terrorists have such utter disregard for innocent life. We must make it crystal clear that affiliation with ISIS and related terrorist groups brings with it the undying enmity of America—that it is, in effect, signing your own death warrant."[75]
- Cruz said in a Fox News interview on November 14, 2015, that the Paris terrorist attacks highlights that the U.S.'s "enemy is radical Islamic terrorism." He said, "As long as we have a commander-in-chief unwilling to even to utter the words, 'radical Islamic terrorism,' we will not have a concerted effort to defeat these radicals before they continue to murder more and more innocents, whether Europeans, or Israelis, or Americans. … President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s idea that we should bring tens of thousands of Syrian Muslim refugees to America is nothing less than lunacy."[76]
- In the same interview, Cruz said that refugee assistance should be focused on Christians. He said, "Those who are fleeing persecution, should be resettled in the Middle East, in majority Muslim countries. Now on the other hand, Christians who are being targeted, for genocide, for persecution, Christians who are being beheaded or crucified, we should be providing safe haven to them."[76]
Syrian refugees
- After two refugees from the Middle East were arrested in Texas on terror-related charges on January 7, 2016, Cruz called for “a systematic and careful retroactive assessment of refugees brought in from high-risk countries to examine the public record, to examine all of the evidence that might indicate whether these individuals have ties to radical Islamic terrorists.”[77]
- In a December 9, 2015, interview on NPR, Cruz defended his bill to halt refugees from ISIS and al-Qaeda-controlled territory being resettled in the U.S. He said there should be an exception for Christians coming from those regions. "What is happening to the Christians by ISIS is qualitatively different. They are facing genocide in that ISIS is attempting to exterminate the Middle Eastern Christians in a way that is qualitatively different from other people,” he said, arguing his bill did not “impose a religious test.” Cruz introduced a bill on December 8, 2015, that would allow states to opt out from receiving refugees. Cruz also introduced a measure on November 18 that would bar refugees to the United States from any country, such as Iraq or Syria, that contains territory substantially controlled by a foreign terrorist organization. The bill would expire after three years. Earlier in 2015, on January 22, Cruz introduced legislation that would allow government officials to strip American citizenship from alleged supporters of designated terrorist groups.[78]
Domestic
Federalism
Legislative
- In 2015, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt began asking Republican candidates on his show if they would be willing to use the Senate "nuclear option" in order to get rid of the filibuster and repeal Obamacare. Ted Cruz is one of a few candidates who is in favor of keeping the filibuster.[79]
Judiciary
- On March 16, 2016, Ted Cruz released the following statement on the nomination of Chief Judge Merrick Garland to the United States Supreme Court: “Merrick Garland is exactly the type of Supreme Court nominee you get when you make deals in Washington D.C. A so-called ‘moderate’ Democrat nominee is precisely the kind of deal that Donald Trump has told us he would make – someone who would rule along with other liberals on the bench like Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor. Make no mistake, if Garland were confirmed, he would side predictably with President Obama on critical issues such as undermining the Second Amendment, legalizing partial-birth abortion, and propping up overreaching bureaucratic agencies like the EPA and the IRS. We cannot afford to lose the Supreme Court for generations to come by nominating or confirming someone that a dealmaker like Donald Trump would support. Washington dealmakers cannot be trusted with such crucial lifetime appointments. I proudly stand with my Republican colleagues in our shared belief – our advice and consent – that we should not vote on any nominee until the next president is sworn into office. The People will decide. I commend Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley for holding the line and ensuring that We the People get to exercise our authority to decide the direction of the Supreme Court and the Bill of Rights.”[80]
- In a statement on March 16, 2016, Ted Cruz said that he opposed the nomination of federal judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. “Make no mistake, if Garland were confirmed, he would side predictably with President Obama on critical issues such as undermining the Second Amendment, legalizing partial-birth abortion, and propping up overreaching bureaucratic agencies like the EPA and the IRS. We cannot afford to lose the Supreme Court for generations to come by nominating or confirming someone that a dealmaker like Donald Trump would support. Washington dealmakers cannot be trusted with such crucial lifetime appointments,” Cruz said.[81]
- On February 15, 2016, Ted Cruz said, "I intend to make 2016 a referendum on the Supreme Court. … I will have no more solemn responsibility than to name a replacement for Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.” Cruz added that he believed Donald Trump, if elected president, would appoint liberal judges because he "has been liberal his entire adult life."[82]
- Cruz said in an interview on February 14, 2016, that the Senate does "not remotely" have an obligation to consider a nominee from President Barack Obama. He argued that "the Senate's duty is to advise and consent. You know what? The Senate is advising right now. We're advising that a lame-duck president in an election year is not going to be able to tip the balance of the Supreme Court." Cruz also commented on his presidential rivals' potential Supreme Court picks, saying, "If Donald Trump is the nominee, or if Hillary Clinton is the president, we will see unlimited abortion on demand throughout this country, partial-birth abortion, taxpayer funding, no parental notification. And we'll also see our religious liberty torn down, our basic rights."[83]
- During the Republican presidential debate on February 13, 2016, Cruz said Justice Antonin Scalia's death "underscore[d] the stakes of this election." He continued, "We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will strike down every restriction on abortion adopted by the states. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will reverse the Heller decision, one of Justice Scalia's seminal decisions that upheld the Second Amendment right to keep and to bear arms. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that would undermine the religious liberty of millions of Americans – and the stakes of this election, for this year, for the Senate, the Senate needs to stand strong and say, 'We're not going to give up the U.S. Supreme Court for a generation by allowing Barack Obama to make one more liberal appointee.'"[84]
- Cruz tweeted earlier on February 13, 2016, "Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement."[85]
- During an interview February 9, 2016, Cruz discussed the future of the U.S. Supreme Court. He said, "We are one justice away from the Supreme Court ordering ten commandments monuments taken down at courthouses and city halls throughout this country. We are not far away from them ordering the chisels to come out to take off the crosses and the Stars of Davids on the tombstones of our fallen soldiers. … We are one justice away from the Supreme Court striking down every restriction on abortion and mandating unlimited abortion-on-demand up until the moment of birth, partial birth with taxpayer funding and no notification." According to The Hill, “He also said a liberal majority of justices would order ‘veterans’ memorials to be torn down over this country,’ give up America's national ‘sovereignty to the United Nations and the World Court,’ and nix the Second Amendment right to bear arms, as well as push a liberal agenda on abortion.”[86]
- Cruz sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on November 2, 2015, that requested the Justice Department preserve documents related to the alleged targeting of conservative organizations by the IRS. “Given this Administration’s refusal to conduct itself appropriately, or take the issue of the potential illegal conduct of IRS employees seriously, any subsequent administration should reserve the right to reopen the matter, conduct its own investigation, or appoint a special prosecutor to conduct an investigation,” Cruz wrote.[87]
- At a campaign rally in Iowa on October 23, 2015, Cruz voiced concern with the future composition of the Supreme Court. He said, “One more liberal justice and our right to keep and bear arms is taken away from us by an activist court. One more liberal justice and they begin sandblasting and bulldozing veterans memorials throughout this country. One more liberal justice and we lose our sovereignty to the United Nations and the World Court.”[88]
- On September 19, 2015, Cruz said that “every” Democratic nominee to the Supreme Court had “put forward votes like a radical leftist nutcase.” He suggested Republican nominees were a mix of justices who “actually honor their oath to defend the Constitution” and “screaming trainwreck disasters.”[89]
- Cruz suggested on September 12, 2015, that Chief Justice John Roberts was not a conservative judge and Obamacare and same-sex marriage would not be law if he were not on the Court. Cruz argued Roberts was nominated because of his lack of time on the federal bench, making his nomination “easier” for former President George W. Bush. Cruz said, “Neither Souter nor Roberts had said much of anything. They didn’t have a paper trail, they wouldn’t have a fight. Whereas if you actually nominate a conservative, then you gotta spend some political capital. Then you gotta fight.”[90]
Government accountability
- During his 2012 Senate campaign, Cruz wrote, "Congress should pass Rep. Ron Paul’s bill to audit the Federal Reserve — so that it is subject to basic principles of accountability and transparency. We then should restrain the Fed’s 'quantitative easing' — a fancy term for printing money — so that our currency isn’t further debased. ...For long-term growth, we need sound money and a strong dollar."[47]
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- Ted Cruz took to Facebook on September 2, 2015, to defend Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “Our nation was founded by men and women fleeing religious oppression. They sought out a new world where they could worship God Almighty with all their heart, mind, and soul. Sadly, we’ve seen a war on faith break out across our nation, and we must be vigilant to protect the free exercise of religion – a value enshrined in our Constitution. We should make it possible for believers, such as Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in Kentucky, to hold government jobs without having to violate their religious beliefs. We can work together to come up with alternative ways to ensure that government functions are accomplished without infringing on religious liberty,” Cruz wrote.[91]
- After Davis was jailed, Cruz called the order an act of “judicial tyranny” on September 3, 2015. Cruz said in a statement, “Today, judicial lawlessness crossed into judicial tyranny. Today, for the first time ever, the government arrested a Christian woman for living according to her faith. This is wrong. This is not America. I stand with Kim Davis. Unequivocally. I stand with every American that the Obama Administration is trying to force to choose between honoring his or her faith or complying with a lawless court opinion.”[92]
- Cruz sponsored S.2416 - the Free All Speech Act of 2014, which proposed requiring that "any law that restricts political speech of American citizens to apply with equal force to media corporations."[93]
- Cruz sponsored S.2415 - the SuperPAC Elimination Act of 2014, which proposed eliminating "the limitations on direct contributions to candidates in federal elections" and requiring "24-hour notification to the Secretary of the Senate, or the Federal Election Commission, and the Secretary of State, as appropriate, for all direct contributions to candidates in excess of $200."[94]
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)
- On March 30, 2015, Ted Cruz issued the following statement in support of Mike Pence and Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act: "I want to commend Governor Mike Pence for his support of religious freedom, especially in the face of fierce opposition. There was a time, not too long ago, when defending religious liberty enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Alas, today we are facing a concerted assault on the First Amendment, on the right of every American to seek out and worship God according to the dictates of his or her conscience. Governor Pence is holding the line to protect religious liberty in the Hoosier State. Indiana is giving voice to millions of courageous conservatives across this country who are deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks upon our personal liberties. I’m proud to stand with Mike, and I urge Americans to do the same."[95]
Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- During the sixth Republican presidential primary debate, on January 14, 2016, Ted Cruz talked about preventing mass shootings and ending violent crime while protecting the Second Amendment: “You prosecute criminals. You target the bad guys. You know, a minute ago, [the moderator] asked: What has President Obama do -- done to illustrate that he wants to go after guns? Well, he appointed Eric Holder as attorney general. Eric Holder said he viewed his mission as brainwashing the American people against guns. He appointed Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, someone who has been a radical against the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. He launched Fast and Furious, illegally selling guns to Mexican drug lords that were then used to shoot law enforcement officials. And I'll tell you what Hillary Clinton has said: Hillary Clinton says she agrees with the dissenters -- the Supreme Court dissenters in the Heller case. There were four dissenters, and they said that they believe the Second Amendment protects no individual right to keep and bear arms whatsoever, which means, if their view prevailed and the next president's going to get one, two, three, maybe four Supreme Court justices, the court will rule that not a single person in this room has any right under the Second Amendment and the government could confiscate your guns.”[96]
- On December 7, 2015, Cruz challenged critics who said he was “insensitive” to hold events promoting the Second Amendment following the San Bernardino, Calif. shootings. Cruz said, “I don’t think it’s my job to be sensitive to radical Islamic terrorists. And you don’t stop the bad guys by taking away our guns. You stop the bad guys by using our guns, and a free and armed American citizenry is how we keep ourselves safe, and we need a president who can distinguish between law-abiding American citizens defending our families, and radical Islamic terrorism committing acts of jihad.”[97]
- In April 2013, Cruz voted against S.Amdt.711 to S.649, which proposed regulating "assault weapons."[98]
- In April 2013, Cruz voted against S.Amdt.714 to S.649, which proposed regulating "large capacity ammunition feeding devices."[99]
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- At the tenth Republican debate on February 25, 2016, Cruz commented on whether Apple should comply with a court order to help the FBI in its investigation of a 2015 shooting in San Bernardino, saying, “Apple should be forced to comply with this court order. Why? Because under the Fourth Amendment, a search and seizure is reasonable if it has judicial authorization and probable cause. In this instance, the order is not put a back door in everyone's cell phone. If that was the order, that order would be problematic because it would compromise security and safety for everyone. I would agree with Apple on that broad policy question. But on the question of unlocking this cell phone of a terrorist, we should enforce the court order and find out everyone that terrorist at San Bernardino talked to on the phone, texted with, e-mailed. And absolutely, Apple doesn't have a right to defy a valid court order in a terrorism investigation.”[100]
USA FREEDOM Act of 2015
- At the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Ted Cruz defended his support for the USA Freedom Act, which opponents, like Marco Rubio, have said barred surveillance tools that make America less safe. Cruz said, “Well...the premise of your question is not accurate. I'm very proud to have joined with conservatives in both the Senate and the House to reform how we target bad guys. And what the USA Freedom Act did is it did two things. Number one, it ended the federal government's bulk collection of phone metadata of millions of law-abiding citizens. But number two in the second half of it that is critical. It strengthened the tools of national security and law enforcement to go after terrorists. It gave us greater tools and we are seeing those tools work right now in San Bernardino. And in particular, what it did is the prior program only covered a relatively narrow slice of phone calls. When you had a terrorist, you could only search a relatively narrow slice of numbers, primarily land lines. The USA Freedom Act expands that so now we have cell phones, now we have Internet phones, now we have the phones that terrorists are likely to use and the focus of law enforcement is on targeting the bad guys. You know what the Obama administration keeps getting wrong is whenever anything bad happens they focus on law-abiding citizens instead of focusing on the bad guys. We need to focus on radical Islamic terrorists and we need to stop them before they carry out acts of terror.”[101]
- In a speech at the Heritage Foundation on December 10, 2015, Cruz opposed “resurrecting the government’s bulk data collection that existed under the PATRIOT Act.” He said, “More data from millions of law-abiding Americans is not always better data. Hoarding tens of billions of records of ordinary citizens, it didn’t stop Fort Hood, it didn’t stop Boston, it didn’t stop Chattanooga, it didn’t stop Garland, and it failed to detect the San Bernardino plot.”[102]
- On December 7, 2015, Cruz defended his vote for the USA Freedom Act. He said, “I’m very proud of leading the way along with other strong conservatives in passing the USA Freedom Act. What it did was two things: Number one, it ended the federal government’s bulk collection of metadata. We are not made safer by having the Obama administration have access to all of our phones and all of our emails. We are not made safer by having Lois Lerner have the information of law abiding citizens. That is not making us safer. The USA Freedom Act ended the bulk collection of phone and metadata of law abiding citizens but then secondly what it did is it strengthened the ability to target the terrorists. It strengthened the ability, when there is evidence that an individual is associated with terrorism, it strengthened the ability to be able to get their phone records, their emails, their location, get everything about them. Under the old system, there was a relatively limited universe of phone records that could be searched. The USA Freedom Act markedly expanded the universe of phone records that could be searched. That’s what the intelligence agencies told Congress—the USA Freedom Act strengthens their ability to target terrorists. They’re now able to search many more records instead of just doing it in a blanket way where they had every law abiding citizen’s phone records, instead [under this bill] they do it with judicial authorization targeted at the bad guys.”[103]
Executive powers
- In a 2014 op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Cruz criticized President Barack Obama for violating the Constitution by bypassing Congress. He wrote, "Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the president's persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat."[104]
Crime and Justice
- Speaking at a church in New Hampshire on February, Cruz shared the story of his half sister Miriam’s drug and alcohol addiction that led to her death. He said, “Her son found her in her bed. The coroner ruled it accidental. We’ll never know. We just got the call one day that Miriam was gone.” New Hampshire is at the center of a wave of heroin addiction and several candidates have addressed the crisis on the trail. But, after delivering his remarks, Cruz participated in a round-table discussion with the local police chief and addiction experts, where he said that, while he supported a Senate program to direct some funds to antidrug efforts, “it’s not going to be the government that solves this.” Cruz emphasized the importance of groups on the ground, including churches and charities.[105]
- While campaigning in Iowa on January 4, 2016, Cruz said that he hoped the armed occupation of a federal building in Oregon would end “peaceably.” Cruz said, “Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds, but we don’t have a constitutional right to use force of violence or threaten force of violence on others.”[106]
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S.1410 - the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2014, which proposed eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders.[107]
- On January 30, 2014, Cruz praised Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to seek the death penalty against terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He explained, "It is crucial that the United States send a message across the world that terrorists who seek to attack our homeland and bring harm to our citizens will be brought to justice and receive the severest punishment under our laws. My continued prayers are with the victims impacted by the attack at the Boston Marathon last year."[108]
Natural resources
Energy development
- On April 16, 2016, Cruz rejected the Obama administration's regulation of the coal industry while speaking at the Wyoming Republican state convention. He pledged, “America is the Saudi Arabia of coal, and we are going to develop our industry.”[109]
- On December 1, 2015, Ted Cruz’s campaign asked for an ad released by America's Renewable Future, “an advocacy group that champions the ethanol-friendly federal mandate,” to be removed from Iowa radio stations. The advertisement says, "Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil, but want to end support for ethanol. Cruz backs policies that threaten rural Iowa and thousands of jobs." According to the Des Moines Register, “Cruz campaign aides say it's incorrect because Cruz is opposed to all energy subsidies, including for oil companies.”[110]
- Cruz sponsored S.2170 - the American Energy Renaissance Act of 2014, which proposed lifting multiple regulations on energy producing industries.[111]
- In an op-ed that appeared in the National Review during his 2012 Senate campaign, Cruz wrote, "Currently, the Obama Administration is using the alleged presence of a lizard to try to stop oil and gas exploration in West Texas. Even more ominously, the EPA has launched 'investigations' into hydraulic fracturing, a long-used drilling process that has recently unlocked vast new reserves in both natural gas and oil. These new American energy reserves are poised to create countless new jobs and drastically reduce our dependence on foreign energy supplies. But if the Obama administration succeeds in banning hydraulic fracturing, tens of thousands of jobs will be lost and America will be left even more dependent on foreign dictators for our energy needs. We can and should vigilantly protect clean air and water while aggressively developing these new resources and new jobs."[47]
Cap and trade
Keystone XL Pipeline
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S.2280 - "A bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline."[112]
Climate change
- On December 8, 2015, Ted Cruz held a hearing to debate whether there was scientific evidence showing climate change was manmade. He discussed his position in a December 9, 2015, interview with NPR, saying, “The scientific evidence doesn't support global warming. For the last 18 years, the satellite data - we have satellites that monitor the atmosphere. The satellites that actually measure the temperature showed no significant warming whatsoever. … Climate change is the perfect pseudoscientific theory for a big government politician who wants more power. Why? Because it is a theory that can never be disproven.”[113]
- Cruz announced December 2, 2015, that he would hold a Senate hearing December 8, 2015, to question the degree to which climate change is a man-made phenomenon. “The four witnesses scheduled to appear at the hearing are all prominent climate change skeptics,” according to Bloomberg. Cruz is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness. The announcement came after President Barack Obama returned from attending a global summit in Paris on climate change, where he expressed confidence that neither Republicans in Congress nor those running to replace him would be able to derail his plans to reduce U.S. carbon emissions.[114]
- In August 2015, Cruz accused government researchers of “cooking the books” to make it appear that global warming was supported by scientific data. “If you look at satellite data for the last 18 years, there’s been zero recorded warming. The satellite says it ain’t happening,” Cruz said.[115]
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S 1324 - National Energy Tax Repeal Act, which proposed prohibiting "the head of a federal agency from promulgating any regulation relating to power sector carbon pollution standards or any substantially similar regulation on or after June 25, 2013, unless that regulation is explicitly authorized by an Act of Congress."[116]
Endangered species
- In 2014, Ted Cruz co-sponsored S.2635 - the 21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act, which proposed requiring that the data used to determine that a species is endangered be published on the Internet.[117]
Environmental Protection Agency
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S.2161 - the EPA Employment Impact Analysis Act, which proposed prohibiting "the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing or finalizing any major rule under the Clean Air Act (CAA) until after the Administrator: (1) completes an economy-wide analysis capturing the costs and effects across industry sectors and markets in the United States of the implementation of major rules promulgated under the CAA; and (2) establishes a process to update such analysis at least semiannually, in order to provide for the currently required continuing evaluation of potential loss or shifts in employment."[118]
Healthcare
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Ted Cruz discussed repealing Obamacare: "Socialized medicine is a disaster. It does not work. If you look at the countries that have imposed socialized medicine, that have put the government in charge of providing medicine, what inevitably happens is rationing. … If I'm elected president, we will repeal every word of Obamacare. And once we do that, we will adopt common sense reforms, number one, we'll allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines that will drive down prices and expand the availability of low cost catastrophic insurance. We'll expand health savings accounts; and we will de-link health insurance from employment so that you don't lose your health insurance when you lose your job, and that way health insurance can be personal, portable and affordable and we keep government from getting in between us and our doctors."[119]
- Cruz said on January 10, 2016, that he would not repeal Obamacare on his first day in office because he would not have the constitutional authority to do so. “The only way to end it is to repeal that statute … we will repeal Obamacare, but unlike Obama, I don’t intend as president to be — to use his word — an emperor,” Cruz said.[120]
- Cruz voted in favor of a Senate bill to repeal large portions of the Affordable Care Act on December 3, 2015.[121]
- While discussing his healthcare platform at the Voters First Forum on August 3, 2015, Cruz said, "I've been proud to lead the fight to stop Obamacare in the United States Senate, against the Washington cartel. And there are a lot of politicians in Washington that have largely given up. They don't believe Obamacare can ever be repealed, including, sadly, a fair number of Republicans. I don't believe that. I intend to make 2016 a referendum on repealing Obamacare, and if I'm elected president, we will repeal every word of Obamacare and we'll pass commonsense health insurance reform to make health insurance personal and portable and affordable."[122]
Immigration
- At the eleventh Republican debate on March 3, 2016, Cruz explained his position on foreign work visas, saying, “Well, the abuse of the H1-B program has been rampant. On the face of that H1-B abuse, I have proposed, and promised as president that I will impose a 180 day moratorium on the H1B program to implement a comprehensive investigation and audit because you got U.S. companies that are firing American workers, bringing in foreign workers, and forcing them to train their replacements. And, I would note that is not dissimilar to what we discovered at the last debate concerning the hotel that Donald owns down in Florida. Down in Florida that hotel has brought in hundreds of foreign workers, and afterwards it was really striking. I watched the CNN interview Donald did where he explained, he said, well the problem is you can't find Americans who are qualified, or who want to work as waiters and waitresses. Now, let me ask the people here, how many people have worked as a waiter or waitress? Millions across this country. That is an astonishing statement. You know, Marco's Dad started as a bartender. My Dad started washing dishes, and yet, you know how many Americans wanted those jobs? Roughly 300 applied, Donald hired 17. And, that's why this New York Times tape is so troubling because what's been reported is that Donald told the Editorial Board of the New York Times what I'm saying on immigration, I don't believe. I'm not going to build a wall, I'm not going to deport people, this is all just rhetoric for the voters. Now, if he didn't say that, he has an easy solution. Simply release the tape. But, for everyone at home who's mad at politicians that lied to us, Donald's record right now as he standing here… His record right now is one of repeatedly hiring illegal aliens...abusing (ph) American workers…”[123]
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Ted Cruz discussed immigration: "What you do is, you enforce the law. You know, under the Constitution, the president has an obligation to, quote, "Take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Federal immigration law provides, if someone is here illegally and is apprehended, they are to be deported. We saw just this past week the head of the border patrol union testify before Congress that President Obama had given the order to the border patrol to stand down, not to enforce the law. That is wrong. I will enforce the law, and for everyone who says, you can't possibly do that, I would note that in eight years, Bill Clinton deported 12 million people. In eight years, George W. Bush deported 10 million people. Enforcing the law -- we can do it. What is missing is the political will. And when they were deporting the people, the border wasn't secure, so they'd come right back. Once you secure the border, enforcing the law will solve this problem and that will benefit American workers."[124]
- During the seventh Republican presidential primary debate on January 28, 2016, Cruz talked about stopping illegal immigration: “Listen, we can solve immigration. We just heard an argument back and forth that we can't solve immigration. I have a detailed immigration plan that is on my website, tedcruz.org. It was designed with Iowa's own Congressman Steve King and Jeff Sessions, and...we have the tools in federal law to do this now. We can build the fence. We can triple the border patrol. We can end sanctuary cities by cutting off...funding to them. We can end welfare for those here illegally. And what is missing is the political will, because too many Democrats and, sadly, too many Republicans don't want to solve this problem. If I am elected president... we will secure the border...and we will end the illegal immigration.”[125]
- Discussing the potential systems that can be used to deport undocumented immigrants on January 10, 2016, Cruz said, “You put in place a strong E-Verify system, that means people can not get employment without proving they are here legally. You implement a strong biometric entry-exit system for visas, so that we know the instant someone overstays their visa. 40% of illegal immigrants are visa overstays.”[126]
Education
- The U.S. Senate approved the conference report for S. 1177 - Student Success Act on December 9, 2015. Ted Cruz missed the voted on the bill, which overhauled the No Child Left Behind Act . Cruz released the following statement: "In many ways, the conference report was worse than the original Senate bill — removing the few good provisions from the House bill that would have allowed some Title I portability for low-income students as well as a parental opt-out from onerous federal accountability standards. The American people expect the Republican majority to do better." President Obama signed the bill into law on December 10, 2015.[127][128]
- In January 2014 at a rally in Houston, Texas, Cruz and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) discussed the importance of school choice. Cruz said, "School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Every child in America deserves a fair chance at a quality education." Cruz also expressed his desire to "expand charter schools and voucher programs," according to The Hill.[129]
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S.1909 - the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education Act, which proposed expanding school choice.[130]
- In 2014, Cruz co-sponsored S.2304 - the Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act.[131]
Abortion
- On the day before the Wisconsin Republican primary, Ted Cruz told attendees at a town hall in Madison that states should have the ability to ban all cases of abortion, including situations of rape and incest. "When it comes to rape, rape is a horrific crime against the humanity of a person, and needs to be punished and punished severely. But at the same time, as horrible as that crime is, I don't believe it's the child's fault. And we weep at the crime, we want to do everything we can to prevent the crime on the front end, and to punish the criminal, but I don't believe it makes sense to blame the child," Cruz said.[132]
- In response to Donald Trump's statement that that “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who have abortions if abortion is criminalized, made during a town hall on MSNBC on March 30, 2016, Cruz said, “Once again Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn’t seriously thought through the issues, and he’ll say anything just to get attention. On the important issue of the sanctity of life, what’s far too often neglected is that being pro-life is not simply about the unborn child; it’s also about the mother — and creating a culture that respects her and embraces life. Of course we shouldn’t be talking about punishing women; we should affirm their dignity and the incredible gift they have to bring life into the world.”[133]
- Cruz said during a town hall on November 30, 3015, that allegations that Republicans were trying to limit women’s access to contraception were “an utter made-up nonsense issue.” He said, “Last I checked, we don’t have a rubber shortage in America. Look, when I was in college, we had a machine in the bathroom, you put 50 cents in and voila. So, yes, anyone who wants contraceptives can access them.”[134]
- Facing a September 30 deadline to fund the government, on September 24, 2015, Ted Cruz said, "President Obama’s position is that if Congress funds 100 percent government that he will nonetheless veto funding for the government, unless Congress also gives $500 million to Planned Parenthood. That is a radical and extreme proposition."[135]
- During CNN's September 16, 2015 Republican presidential debate, Cruz argued that Congress should defund Planned Parenthood. He said, "Well, let me tell you, Dana, number one, I'm proud to stand for life. These Planned Parenthood videos are horrifying. I would encourage every American to watch the videos. See — seeing your Planned Parenthood officials callously, heartlessly bartering and selling the body parts of human beings, and then ask yourself, 'are these my values?' These are horrifying. On these videos, Planned Parenthood also essentially confesses to multiple felonies. It is a felony with ten years' jail term to sell the body parts of unborn children for profit. That's what these videos show Planned Parenthood doing. Absolutely we shouldn't be sending $500 million of taxpayer money to funding an ongoing criminal enterprise, and I'll tell you, the fact that Republican leadership in both houses has begun this discussion by preemptively surrendering to Barack Obama and saying, 'we'll give in because Obama threatens a veto.' You know, Obama's committed to his principles. His liberal principles, he will fight for them. He says I will veto any budget that doesn't fund Planned Parenthood, and Republicans surrender. We need to stop surrendering and start standing for our principles."[136]
Gay rights
- When asked on April 18, 2016, what he would do to protect gay individuals from “institutionalized discrimination,” Ted Cruz referred to religious liberty and states’ rights. He said, “When it comes to religious liberty, religious liberty is something that protects everyone. It is our very first amendment, very first phrase that is protected in the Bill of Rights." Cruz continued, “We want to be able to live in a world where we don't have the government dictating our beliefs and how we live. We have a right to live according to our faith and according to our conscience.”[137]
- Commenting on Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s veto of a religious liberties bill, which some argued would discriminate against gay and transgender individuals, Ted Cruz told reporters on March 28, 2016, that it “was very disappointing to see Governor Deal in Georgia side with leftist activists.”[138]
- At the “Rally for Religious Liberty” at Bob Jones University on November 14, 2015, Cruz said the issue of same-sex marriage was “not settled” legally. He said, “It’s not the law of the land. It’s not the Constitution. It’s not legitimate, and we will stand and fight.” Under the Tenth Amendment, Cruz believes the definition of marriage should instead be “left to the states and left to the people.”[139]
Urban policy
- Salon reported on January 21, 2016, that Ted Cruz’s campaign worked with the anti-abortion advocacy group Flint Right to Life to collect and distribute water bottles to "expecting moms and moms of little ones" impacted by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.[140]
- On his 2016 presidential campaign website, Cruz said he would abolish the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He added that he would reform the affordable housing Section 8 program "as part of a larger antipoverty and welfare-reform agenda consistent with policies that are family-centered, opportunity-inspired, and work-focused." Other HUD programs, like the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and veterans’ homeless assistance grants, would be transferred to other agencies.[141]
- After he received backlash for criticizing presidential rival Donald Trump for having "New York values," Cruz apologized "to the millions of New Yorkers that have been held down by liberal policies in New York City." His apology extended to those "who have been denied jobs because Gov. Cuomo won't allow fracking" and who have "been driven out of New York City by crushing taxes and regulations."[142]
- Cruz called the rhetoric of the Black Lives Matter movement "disgraceful" during a campaign speech on October 14, 2015. He said, “If you look at the Black Lives Matter movement, one of the most disturbing things is more than one of their protests have embraced rabid rhetoric, rabid anti-police language, literally suggesting and embracing and celebrating the murder of police officers. That is disgraceful.”[143]
- In June 2015, Cruz co-sponsored S 1541 - Transportation Empowerment Act, which would have granted control of the federal highways and other transit programs to the state.[144]
- Cruz expressed some support for the construction of a high-speed rail system in Texas by the Central Japan Railway in August 2014. He said, "The best words you said there were privately funded. When it comes to privately funded, I believe that citizens in the private sector are a lot better at deciding how to allocate their capital, how to assess the costs and benefits, than is the federal government."[145]
Rural policy
- On his 2016 presidential campaign website, Ted Cruz declared that he would eliminate the Appalachian Regional Commission, a regional agency that seeks to "innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia."[146][147]
- Cruz said protesters in Oregon occupying a federal building to oppose federal control of western lands should "stand down" in January 2016. He said, "Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest against the government, but we don’t have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others. So it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation.”[148]
- On December 1, 2015, Cruz's campaign asked for an ad released by America's Renewable Future, “an advocacy group that champions the ethanol-friendly federal mandate,” to be removed from Iowa radio stations. The advertisement claimed, "Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil, but want to end support for ethanol. Cruz backs policies that threaten rural Iowa and thousands of jobs." According to The Des Moines Register, “Cruz campaign aides say it's incorrect because Cruz is opposed to all energy subsidies, including for oil companies.”[149]
- In September 2015, Cruz participated in the "Rural Town Hall" series on RFD-TV News, where he discuss a wide range of issues impacting rural communities:[150]
- Cruz said that young people could be recruited to farm by emphasizing innovation in the agricultural sector. He explained, "You know, one of the incredible things we’re seeing in farming now is the impact of technology, the impact of new innovations. It’s why America leads the world in agriculture, because we’re not doing subsistence farming anymore, scratching out a plot of land; but it is creative, it’s innovative, and it’s changing the world. And telling that story in a way that captures the imagination that captures the hopes and futures, uh, of young people I think is a powerful thing."[150]
- Cruz argued that the Department of Education focused more on the needs of cities like Manhattan and San Francisco than rural communities. He said that education should be locally controlled to guarantee "immediate accountability" and mirror "the standards of the community."[150]
- Cruz said that although he believed there was "an important federal role in crop insurance," he opposed the U.S. government being in "the business of setting the price and let the market operate." He added that he had opposed the Agricultural Act of 2014 because it was tied to nutrition assistance programs.[150]
- He called the "waters of the United States" rule, which defines which bodies of water fall under federal control, "a massive power grab." He said that Americans should ask themselves which candidates were willing to take on "the Washington cartel" and federal regulatory environment.[150]
- During a discussion of food labeling and genetically modified organisms, Cruz said, "I don’t think the federal government should be mandating labeling that’s not driven by the sciences, particularly when there have been enormous benefits in terms of driving down the cost of food and feeding people all across the world."[150]
- Cruz introduced the American Renaissance Act in 2014 and 2015, which sought to phase out the Renewable Fuel Standard after five years.[151][152]
- Cruz voted in favor of a bill which proposed limiting "the amount of premium subsidy provided by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation on behalf of any person or legal entity with an average adjusted gross income in excess of $750,000."[153]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Ted + Cruz + 2016
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Politico, "Ted Cruz drops out of presidential race," May 3, 2016
- ↑ Twitter, "Ted Cruz," accessed March 23, 2015
- ↑ CNBC, "Ted Cruz suspends presidential campaign," May 3, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Texas," November 6, 2012
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "No, Canada: Sen. Ted Cruz has formally shed his dual citizenship," accessed March 5, 2015
- ↑ Time, "Ted Cruz Renounces Newly Discovered Canadian Citizenship," June 10, 2014
- ↑ Crowdpac, "2016 Presidential Election," accessed March 7, 2016
- ↑ Leadership Project for American PAC, "Candidate's Grades and Comparisons," accessed March 7, 2016
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Donald Trump reclaims lead in latest Iowa Poll," January 30, 2016
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," March 9, 2023
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
- ↑ USA Today, "Ted Cruz: Tax Freedom Day comes way too late," April 25, 2016
- ↑ Breitbart, "Ted Cruz: The IRS Is Facilitating Illegal Immigration," April 16, 2016
- ↑ Washington Post, "The Fox News GOP debate transcript, annotated," March 3, 2016
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "A Simple Flat Tax for Economic Growth," October 28, 2015
- ↑ Tax Foundation website, "Details and Analysis of Senator Ted Cruz’s Tax Plan," accessed October 29, 2015
- ↑ Cato At Liberty, "The Ted Cruz Tax Plan: A Pro-Growth Restructuring of the Internal Revenue Code, but with One Worrisome Feature," October 29
- ↑ AP, "Cruz adds to GOP divide on how best to overhaul tax system," October 30, 2015
- ↑ National Review, "Cruz Compares Actual Abuse by IRS in Targeting Obama’s Political Opposition to Nixon’s Attempted Abuse of IRS," July 29, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "In New Hampshire, Ted Cruz Keeps Up Attack on Federal Reserve," November 11, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Who said what and what it meant: The 4th GOP debate, annotated," November 10, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Cruz calls for abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau," July 21, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Senator for Texas, Ted Cruz, "Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ratcliffe Introduce Bill to Abolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau," July 21, 2015
- ↑ Business Insider, "Watching Ted Cruz talk to a room full of Wall Streeters is about as awkward as expected," July 15, 2015
- ↑ National Review, "A Growth and Jobs Agenda," accessed March 5, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2153 - National Regulatory Budget Act of 2014," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2617 - Davis-Bacon Repeal Act," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ Lubbock Online, "Ted Cruz tells Lubbock audience economic growth key in solving nation's problems," April 4, 2013
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.15 - REINS Act," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ CNN, "Transcript of Republican debate in Miami, full text," accessed May 2, 2016
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "In Iowa, Cruz says he would vote against trade deal," accessed May 2, 2016
- ↑ Breitbart, "Ted Cruz: ‘Under No Circumstances Should The TPP Be Voted On During a Lame Duck Session’," November 12, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2146)," accessed September 7, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Exclusive – Ted Cruz: Obamatrade enmeshed in corrupt, backroom dealings," June 23, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314," accessed May 25, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 1314 (Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act)," accessed May 25, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Putting Congress in Charge on Trade," accessed May 12, 2015
- ↑ Gov Track, “S.J.Res.7 - A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget.," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "7th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 28, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Ted Cruz refuses to budge in opposition to ethanol mandate," January 20, 2016
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Iowa governor wants Ted Cruz defeated," January 19, 2016
- ↑ National Review, "Refusing to Kiss King Corn’s Ring in Iowa," January 17, 2016
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Cruz asks Iowa radio stations to yank 'false' attack ad," December 1, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Republicans applaud chained CPI in Obama budget," accessed March 5, 2015
- ↑ Ted Cruz for President, "Cruz: Stand for American Workers," September 7, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.204 - A bill to preserve and protect the free choice of individual employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, or to refrain from such activities.," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 47.5 National Review, "A Growth and Jobs Agenda," accessed March 5, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Ted Cruz at AIPAC: Iran deal is like Munich in 1938, arming Israel's enemy," March 21, 2016
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Ted Cruz calls Obama communist, gloats about Boehner quitting, threatens to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader," September 25, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "CNN REAGAN LIBRARY DEBATE: Later Debate Full Transcript," September 16, 2015
- ↑ USA Today, "Ted Cruz: Deal is a catastrophic threat to security," September 10, 2015
- ↑ American Thinker, "A Conversation with Ted Cruz," September 1, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Cruz wants delay in Iran review period because of 'side deals'," July 31, 2015
- ↑ National Journal, "Ted Cruz Says the Iran Nuclear Deal Could Lead to ‘Tens of Millions of Americans Dying’," July 21, 2015
- ↑ National Journal, "How the 2016 Presidential Candidates Are Reacting to the Iran Deal," July 14, 2015
- ↑ Cruz.Senate.gov, "Ted Cruz: Letter to The Honorable John Kerry," accessed April 18, 2015
- ↑ Cruz.Senate.gov, "Cruz: Under no circumstance should a U.S. President lift sanctions and grant nuclear capability to a nation that proudly chants 'Death to America'," accessed April 10, 2015
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Ted Cruz promises military no 'gluten-free' MREs," February 16, 2016
- ↑ Mother Jones, "Ted Cruz Slams Idea of Women in Combat," February 7, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Sens. Ted Cruz and Jack Reed Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy: Transcript," May 1, 2014
- ↑ Sam Sanders, NPR,"Ted Cruz Criticized After Suggesting Law Enforcement Patrol Muslim Areas," March 23, 2016
- ↑ Reena Flores, CBS News, "Ted Cruz defends call to police U.S. Muslim neighborhoods," March 23, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Ted Cruz calls for law enforcement to ‘patrol and secure’ Muslim neighborhoods," March 22, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Cruz: Obama 'plans' to give Guantanamo back to Cuba," February 17, 2016
- ↑ The Times of London, "Britain will be at the front of the queue for a US trade deal," April 27, 2016
- ↑ USA Today, "Ted Cruz on Brexit: U.K. 'will be at front' of trade queue," April 27, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "5 candidates make closing arguments on CNN ahead of Western Tuesday," March 22, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "In Cuba, Obama Will Legitimize the Corrupt and Ignore the Oppressed," March 20, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Cruz blasts 'dangerous' prisoner swap with Iran," January 17, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "7th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 28, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Ted Cruz vows to ‘utterly destroy ISIS’ and ‘carpet bomb’ terrorists," December 5, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Cruz: ‘No meaningful risk’ of Christians committing terrorism," November 15, 2015
- ↑ TedCruz.org, "Cruz: America Must Stand With Our Allies Against the Scourge of Radical Islamic Terrorism," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ 76.0 76.1 Breitbart, "Cruz: Obama 'Does Not Wish to Defend This Country,' Refugee Plan 'Nothing Less Than Lunacy,'" accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Cruz calls for 'retroactive assessment of refugees' after U.S. terror arrests," January 8, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "Cruz Won't Criticize Trump But Offers His Own Plan To Bar Refugees," December 9, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Filibuster divides GOP 2016 contenders," July 6, 2015
- ↑ Ted Cruz.org, "Cruz: We Should Not Vote on a Supreme Court Nominee Until the Next President is in Office," accessed March 16, 2016
- ↑ Ted Cruz for President, "We should not vote on a Supreme Court nominee until the next president is in office," March 16, 2016
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Ted Cruz: 2016 Is a ‘Referendum’ on the Supreme Court," February 15, 2016
- ↑ NBC News, "Meet the Press - February 14, 2016," February 14, 2016
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWaPo - ↑ Twitter, "Ted Cruz," February 13, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Cruz: Liberal Supreme Court would tear down veterans' memorials," February 10, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Ted Cruz: Next president will get do-over on IRS-tea party investigation," November 2, 2015
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Cruz: We're 'one liberal justice' from irreparable damage," October 23, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Ted Cruz: Democratic Supreme Court justices rule ‘like a radical leftist nutcase,'" September 18, 2015
- ↑ BuzzFeed, "Ted Cruz, Who Repeatedly Vouched For John Roberts, Slams Him At Length," September 12, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Ted Cruz," September 2, 2015
- ↑ Ted Cruz for President, "Cruz: I call upon every believer, every constitutionalist, every lover of liberty to stand with Kim Davis," September 3, 2015
- ↑ Gov Track, "S.2416 - Free Speech Act of 2104," accessed July 14, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2415 - SuperPAC Elimination Act of 2014," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ TedCruz.org, "Cruz: I’m proud to stand with Gov. Mike Pence, and I urge Americans to do the same," accessed April 16, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "6th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 14, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Ted Cruz: ‘You don’t stop bad guys by taking away our guns’," December 7, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.711 to S.649," accessed March 8, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.714 to S.649," accessed March 8, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "The CNN-Telemundo Republican debate transcript, annotated," February 25, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Rush Transcript second debate: CNN Facebook Republican Presidential Debate," December 15, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Cruz presses Rubio critique," December 10, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Ted Cruz Crushes Marco Rubio in South Carolina Over National Security, Bulk Metadata Collection," December 7, 2015
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Ted Cruz: The Imperial Presidency of Barack Obama," January 28, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "An Emotional Ted Cruz Talks of the Overdose Death of His Half Sister," February 4, 2016
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio Urge Oregon Militants to Stand Down," January 4, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1410 - Smarter Sentencing Act of 2014," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ Senate.gov, "Cruz on Decision to Seek Death Penalty in Case Against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev," January 30, 2014
- ↑ Reuters, "Ted Cruz wins Wyoming Republican presidential nominating contest," April 17, 2016
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Cruz asks Iowa radio stations to yank 'false' attack ad," December 1, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2170," accessed March 6, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2280 - A bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ NPR, "Scientific Evidence Doesn't Support Global Warming, Sen. Ted Cruz Says," December 9, 2015
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Hearing on Whether Global Warming Science Is 'Data or Dogma,'" December 2, 2015
- ↑ TIME, "Ted Cruz Says Climate-Change Fears Falsified by Scientists and Politicians," August 2, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1324 - National Energy Tax Repeal Act," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2635 - 21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.2161 - EPA Employment Impact Analysis Act," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Cruz: I won't be 'an emperor,'" January 10, 2016
- ↑ CBS News, "Senate passes Obamacare repeal bill," December 3, 2015
- ↑ CNS News, "Sen. Ted Cruz: 'I Intend to Make 2016 a Referendum on Repealing Obamacare,'" August 4, 2015
- ↑ Washington Post, "The Fox News GOP debate transcript, annotated," March 3, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "7th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 28, 2016
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Ted Cruz Draws Contrast With Trump On Federal 'Deportation Force,' 'We Don't Live In A Police State'," January 10, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves No Child Left Behind rewrite, sending legislation to White House," December 9, 2015
- ↑ NBC Washington, "Obama Set to Sign Education Overhaul Bill to Replace No Child Left Behind," December 10, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Rubio and Cruz circle education reform," January 28, 2014
- ↑ Gov Track, "S.1909 - Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education Act," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ Gov Track, "S.2304 - Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ The Cap Times, "Ted Cruz in Wisconsin: Roe v. Wade not settled, ban abortion with no exceptions," April 4, 2016
- ↑ Fox News, "Trump Walks Back Comment on 'Punishment' for Abortions," March 30, 2016
- ↑ ABC News, "Ted Cruz on Birth Control: 'We Don’t Have a Rubber Shortage in America'," December 1, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Here we go again: Cruz vs. McConnell and Boehner," September 24, 2015
- ↑ Washington Post, "Wednesday’s GOP debate transcript, annotated," September 16, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Gay Republican confronts Ted Cruz over same-sex marriage," April 18, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Cruz calls Georgia governor’s veto of religious freedom bill ‘very disappointing’," March 28, 2016
- ↑ The Greenville News, "Cruz at BJU: Gay marriage issue not settled," November 14, 2015
- ↑ Salon, "Ted Cruz’s campaign is handing out bottled water in Flint — but only to anti-abortion groups," January 21, 2016
- ↑ Ted Cruz for President, "Five for Freedom," accessed January 31, 2016
- ↑ TIME, "Ted Cruz Says Sorry to New Yorkers in True Ted Cruz Style," January 15, 2016
- ↑ Sun Times, "Cruz: Black Lives Matter protests 'have embraced rabid rhetoric'," October 14, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1541 - Transportation Empowerment Act," accessed January 31, 2016
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "The Bullet Train That Could Change Everything," August 18, 2014
- ↑ Ted Cruz for President, "Five for Freedom Summary," accessed January 17, 2016
- ↑ Applachian Regional Commission, "About ARC," accessed January 17, 2016
- ↑ USA Today, "Ted Cruz calls on Oregon activists to 'stand down,'" January 4, 2016
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Cruz asks Iowa radio stations to yank 'false' attack ad," December 1, 2015
- ↑ 150.0 150.1 150.2 150.3 150.4 150.5 RFD-TV, "Compete Transcript: Rural Town Hall with Senator Ted Cruz," September 30, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "American Energy Renaissance Act of 2014," accessed January 17, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015," accessed January 17, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.953 to S.954," accessed January 17, 2016
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