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Ted Cruz's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for U.S. Senate (TX) - Jr

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Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2024.

  • "Roe was wrong the day it was decided, and it has been wrong every day since then. If you search for the word ‘abortion’ in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, you won’t find it. The Court at the time acknowledged that, and yet Roe created a brand new constitutional ‘right’ out of whole cloth. And while the left manically argues that the Dobbs decision makes abortion illegal throughout the country, that is false. What this decision does is leave abortion policy up to the states and returns power to the American people—which is exactly how questions of abortion were handled before Roe." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Sen. Cruz on the Dobbs decision: ‘Nothing Short of a Massive Victory for Life'" (twitter.com)
  • "The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, reversing Roe v. Wade, is nothing short of a massive victory for life, and it will save the lives of millions of innocent babies. The decision reverses one of the most egregious departures from the Constitution and legal precedent the United States has ever seen, and one that has resulted in the deaths of 63 million American children." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "This is a momentous day, and yet the fight for life doesn’t end with the Dobbs decision. It simply begins a new chapter. I’ve been proud to stand for life in the U.S. Senate, and I will continue to do so as we navigate the path ahead." (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "This bill is a give-away to the Democrats’ radical leftist base at the expense of middle-class Americans. It’s a betrayal of President Biden’s promise to not raise taxes on the middle class. Make no mistake – this bill will hurt America and hardworking Americans at a time when we can least afford it." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Tax reform is a powerful lever for spurring economic expansion and American global competitiveness. That’s why Sen. Cruz has proposed common-sense legislation, including measures to abolish the IRS, implement a simple flat tax, and clean up some of the most complex and burdensome sections of the tax code. Sen. Cruz believes Texans know how to spend their hard-earned dollars better than the government and has long fought to keep taxes low so people can decide how to spend their own money." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "The Schumer-Manchin bill will drive up inflation and prices, hammer small businesses and American manufacturing, increase the price of gas, and sic the IRS on Americans, all while raising taxes on Americans in nearly every tax bracket including those who make less than $400,000 a year." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "This bill is just Biden’s Build Back Broke by another name. It’s a gift to radical environmentalists and to rich, liberal elites. It uses taxpayer dollars to subsidize electric vehicles while imposing even more new taxes to raise the price of gas in the middle of out-of-control inflation and a recession." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "This bill is a give-away to the Democrats’ radical leftist base at the expense of middle-class Americans. It’s a betrayal of President Biden’s promise to not raise taxes on the middle class. Make no mistake – this bill will hurt America and hardworking Americans at a time when we can least afford it." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Tax reform is a powerful lever for spurring economic expansion and American global competitiveness. That’s why Sen. Cruz has proposed common-sense legislation, including measures to abolish the IRS, implement a simple flat tax, and clean up some of the most complex and burdensome sections of the tax code. Sen. Cruz believes Texans know how to spend their hard-earned dollars better than the government and has long fought to keep taxes low so people can decide how to spend their own money." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "The Schumer-Manchin bill will drive up inflation and prices, hammer small businesses and American manufacturing, increase the price of gas, and sic the IRS on Americans, all while raising taxes on Americans in nearly every tax bracket including those who make less than $400,000 a year." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "This bill is just Biden’s Build Back Broke by another name. It’s a gift to radical environmentalists and to rich, liberal elites. It uses taxpayer dollars to subsidize electric vehicles while imposing even more new taxes to raise the price of gas in the middle of out-of-control inflation and a recession." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "I shudder to think what a Supreme Court with a decisive liberal majority would have done. They would surely have rolled back the First Amendment right to free speech by overturning Citizens United--a case, I remind you, that involved an attempt to ban a movie criticizing Hillary Clinton." (None)
  • "If confirmed, the odds are overwhelming that Judge Jackson would vote to overturn Heller, Citizens United, and efforts to enforce border laws." (twitter.com)
  • "My legislation would put Americans on a level playing field with the media and politicians when it comes to influencing elections and exercising our First Amendment rights. Specifically, it would remove the caps on direct contributions to candidates from individuals and requires donations of more than $200 to be disclosed within 24 hours. Establishing unlimited contributions paired with immediate disclosure is the best way to promote transparency, eliminate the viability of SuperPACs going forward, and ensure that free speech is protected in the electoral process. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to shed light on the political arena and empower individual Americans by passing this important legislation." (None)
  • Voted in favor of HJR 42 "Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022" (None)
  • "Border Patrol and law enforcement are heroes—I have their backs!" (twitter.com)
  • "The men and women of Border Patrol and law enforcement are heroes—we have their backs!" (twitter.com)
  • "Our military will still show up even with a shutdown. The military has to do its job and keep this nation safe, but what will happen is their paychecks will go away. … Never mind that you can't pay for groceries for your wife and kid that week. Never mind that you can't pay your rent, you can't pay your bills. Never mind, a Marine who's stationed in harm's way. Your paycheck is going to go away. Why? Because partisanship is so rife in this town that the Democrat leadership believed they could hold these young fighting men and women hostage and pay no political price." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "The goal of United States foreign policy and military policy is to protect the national security of America and Americans. As a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a current member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Cruz has worked throughout his career to counter the geopolitical threats posed by Russia and China, boost our Israeli allies, counter our enemies in the Iranian regime, advance human rights globally and especially in the Western Hemisphere, ensure that Texas’ military bases and communities receive the resources they need, and ensure the safety, security, and freedoms of Americans are protected at home and abroad." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2670 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024" (None)
  • Voted in favor of S 2226 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024" (None)
  • "Worst of all, their tax-and-spend mania has already caused inflation to rear its ugly head and prices to rise significantly. As far too many people already know, all across Texas and across the country, it's getting more expensive to cool your home, to fill up your car, to buy groceries, to buy lumber, or to buy a new home. The Biden Inflation is crushing middle-class Americans, and is especially painful for seniors on a fixed income. The last year-and-a-half has been enormously difficult for hard-working Texans and all Americans. They deserve better than this." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "My colleagues have tried to claim this bill is paid for, but it's not. Even if you count the gimmicks and fake offsets, this bill will increase the deficit by over a quarter of a trillion dollars. If, like me, you don't trust the Washington Swamp's funny math, we're about to plunge ourselves even further into debt. America is already $28.6 trillion in debt, and it's set to skyrocket even higher." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Now the Democrats have started the process to jam through their massive $3.5 trillion tax-and-spend bill. which means we're looking at almost $5 trillion in spending just on these two latest bills. That's on top of over $3 trillion in wasteful spending Congress has already passed in the past eight months. That's a whopping near-$8 trillion -- which is almost double what America spent to win World War II. This free-for-all spending is reckless, irresponsible, and unsustainable." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Ted’s record against reckless spending is strong. He led opposition against Joe Biden’s reckless bill that drove up spending and inflation and created an $80 billion slush fund to hire up to 87,000 new IRS agents whose sole purpose is to harass the American public." (www.tedcruz.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Let's take a look at what the Democrats are gearing up to pass this fall: the Bernie Budget Resolution to put the United States on the path toward the Biden Green New Deal, including proposals to advance ‘environmental justice' and impose massive new fees on industries they don't like. It will include trying to jam through amnesty and citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. Democrats are also set to use this process to hike taxes to the tune of trillions of dollars. That means individual taxes are going way up. Corporate taxes are going up. Small business taxes are going up. Capital gains taxes are going up. It means the death tax is going up." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "The Schumer-Manchin bill will drive up inflation and prices, hammer small businesses and American manufacturing, increase the price of gas, and sic the IRS on Americans, all while raising taxes on Americans in nearly every tax bracket including those who make less than $400,000 a year. This bill is just Biden’s Build Back Broke by another name. It’s a gift to radical environmentalists and to rich, liberal elites. It uses taxpayer dollars to subsidize electric vehicles while imposing even more new taxes to raise the price of gas in the middle of out-of-control inflation and a recession." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Worst of all, their tax-and-spend mania has already caused inflation to rear its ugly head and prices to rise significantly. As far too many people already know, all across Texas and across the country, it's getting more expensive to cool your home, to fill up your car, to buy groceries, to buy lumber, or to buy a new home. The Biden Inflation is crushing middle-class Americans, and is especially painful for seniors on a fixed income. The last year-and-a-half has been enormously difficult for hard-working Texans and all Americans. They deserve better than this." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Ted’s record against reckless spending is strong. He led opposition against Joe Biden’s reckless bill that drove up spending and inflation and created an $80 billion slush fund to hire up to 87,000 new IRS agents whose sole purpose is to harass the American public." (www.tedcruz.org)
  • "I am left wondering how exactly electric vehicle subsidies, forgiving college-educated Americans’ student loans, and raising taxes on small businesses constitute building from the ‘bottom-up’ and ‘help[ing] small businesses.’ It doesn’t, but that would only matter if Bidenomics was a coherent theory—which it is not." (twitter.com)
  • "This announcement is a gut punch to every hard working single mother who worked double shifts in order to pay for her own education, every parent who borrowed against their home to send their kid to college, Americans who sacrificed to make responsible financial decisions, and our nation’s veterans and service members who risked their lives to earn the G.I. Bill." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Let’s be clear - there is no way to ‘cancel’ student debt. This will cost every taxpayer an average of $2100. Someone will pay the price for this policy and the price is likely to be felt by every American in the form of even higher inflation. This administration is exceeding its legal authority and illegally burdening hard-working Americans with debts they didn’t take on themselves." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "The Supreme Court once again remained true to the Constitution by blocking Biden’s student debt transfer. This decision by the President wouldn’t have "eliminated" student debt—instead, it would have transferred it to another American who had already paid off their loans, or opted out of attending college. Biden knew this was not legal. This was nothing more than a messaging ploy to give him a cheap political win before midterms." (twitter.com)
  • "This legislation strikes down virtually every voter integrity law adopted at the state level. Voter ID laws - over 70 percent of Americans support voter ID laws. By the way, over 60 percent of African-Americans in this country support voter ID laws. Twenty nine states have voter ID laws on the books. What does this legislation do? Strikes them all down. Says it's illegal for any state to have a voter ID law, ballot harvesting, 31 states prohibit ballot harvesting. Why? Because it is a corrupt practice where paid operatives handle the ballots of someone else, and it has repeatedly led to instances of stealing votes. What does this bill do? It strikes down all 31 states, restrictions on ballot harvesting." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Dems are radicals who want to strike down every voter ID law in America. 81% of Americans support voter ID. 77% of Black voters support voter ID. But elected Dems hate it bc it makes fraud harder." (twitter.com)
  • "It is insane that you have the left and the corporate media, they tell you it's wrong to ask for an ID to vote, that voter ID is a horrible, racist idea which is nonsense, but at the same time, they demand show me your papers to buy a cheeseburger." (twitter.com)
  • "This legislation, I believe, is the most radical legislation the Senate has considered in the nine years I've been here, and it is the most dangerous legislation pending before the United States Congress. You know, I listened to the speeches this morning, I listened to Senator Schumer's speech where he recounted this country's shameful history of Jim Crow laws. And he's right, Jim Crow laws were bigoted, racist, and disenfranchised millions of people. It is worth remembering that those Jim Crow laws were drafted by Democrats, they were implemented by Democrats, and they kept Democrats in power. Now, today's talking point repeated in the media is that was the Democrats of yesterday, not today. Well, today, the Democrats are doing it again, this legislation, to use a phrase that has been popularized on the media recently, is Jim Crow 2.0. This legislation would disenfranchise millions of Americans." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Sen. Cruz has long fought to encourage and maintain an all-of-the-above approach that fueled the American energy renaissance we were experiencing before the pandemic, including the thousands of blue collar jobs that depend on a thriving energy industry. He has long fought to protect Texas’ oil and energy sector and will continue to fight back against the Biden administration and Big Businesses out to destroy the American energy industry and the millions of blue-collar jobs across Texas and the nation with it." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Don’t be fooled by President Biden's claim that climate day at the WH = jobs day. Just because he says it’s "jobs day" doesn’t mean it’s true. Today’s climate EO would result in the loss of over 80,000 blue-collar jobs in Texas -- the most of any state." (twitter.com)
  • "The Energy Freedom Act would put a stop to the Biden administration's sabotage of the American energy industry, and Congress should take it up without delay." (twitter.com)
  • "President Biden promised to wage war on American oil and gas. And he’s doing it. The most destructive policy: Biden is encouraging banks to restrict equity and capital for new exploration. It’s no surprise that the price of oil and gas continues to climb." (twitter.com)
  • "I’m proud to accept the Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors. Since day one, I’ve fought against Biden’s radical policies that will destroy American energy dominance. America and Texas must remain the energy capital of the world." (twitter.com)
  • "The Biden administration's hostility toward the oil and gas industry raises costs for American families and destroys U.S. jobs. Right here in America, we produce the world's cleanest energy and have the resources and ability to do it without relying on Russia, Iran, or Venezuela. I am honored to receive this award, and I will continue to defend the merits of drilling on American soil and in American waters." (twitter.com)
  • "There are two different approaches to try to stop criminals and mass murders. One is to target and prosecute felons and criminals trying to illegally buy guns and who use guns in the commission of a crime, while simultaneously securing our schools and hiring more police officers who are trained to prevent school violence. My legislation with Senators John Barrasso, Chuck Grassley, Tim Scott, Cynthia Lummis and Mike Crapo would have done that. Like Grassley-Cruz in 2013, this proposal is a comprehensive effort to dedicate serious resources to make schools and communities safer, and to do so in a way that respects our Constitution. Unfortunately, Washington Democrats opposed our legislation and took a second, altogether different approach tonight: Once again, their response was to try to disarm law-abiding citizens rather than take serious measures to protect our children. That doesn’t work. It doesn’t prevent crime and it won’t allow people to defend themselves and their loved ones. And frankly, the Supreme Court might find significant portions of it to be unconstitutional. But because of their political agenda, Democrats have sought to disarm law-abiding citizens. This is a mistake, which is why I voted against this misguided attempt and fought for an alternative that would actually save lives." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • Texas Tribune "If the objective is to stop these crimes, gun control is singularly ineffective. When you disarm law-abiding citizens … [they] give up their weapons. The criminals don’t." (www.texastribune.org)
  • "God bless Texas, and God bless the NRA. In 1776, 56 patriots affixed their names to the Declaration of Independence. Signed their lives, fortunes and sacred honors. When they made that commitment those were not empty words. Those were the words that launched a revolution, the greatest experiment in freedom that the world has ever known. Today, in this gathering, we are once again in the presence of patriots. From the minutemen at Lexington and Concord to civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcom X, Americans have long understood that the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental for preserving our liberty. And the men and women here are committed to standing up for freedom." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • Voted against S 2938 "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act" (None)
  • "Since his first day in office, Sen. Cruz has been a leading voice for repealing Obamacare. He authored legislation repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate that was signed into law and remains committed to a full repeal of Obamacare. He is also fighting to make meaningful reforms to expand Health Savings Accounts, allow individuals to purchase insurance across state lines, and make health care more personal, portable, and affordable." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Hardworking Americans are hurting under Obamacare, and I remain committed to honoring our promise to repeal and replace this disastrous law. This bill is a true market-based reform that lowers health insurance premiums by forcing insurers to compete for business. By putting the consumer back in control of their healthcare, this bill empowers patients to choose a health insurance plan that fits their needs anywhere in the country -- from Vermont to Texas." (None)
  • "On top of the unsustainable costs that would be incurred from government-run, universal health coverage, free-market competition and innovation would be eliminated. The government would become the sole distributor of health care, which would further narrow patient choices and degrade the quality of care available. Other countries that have adopted similar universal plans have experienced a decline in quality of care, exposing patients to long wait times and even denial of care in many cases." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Too often, the government inhibits lifesaving innovation. By unleashing a supply-side medical revolution, we can do more than simply care for those with chronic, life-threatening diseases -- we can cure them. This legislation champions medical innovation, helps mitigate critical drug shortages in the U.S., and lowers the costs of medical devices and drugs." (None)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "President Biden wants to stay in power more than he wants to protect Americans. Under Biden, we’ve seen nearly 300 people on the terror watchlist come through our southern border. This wasn’t a problem during the Trump administration." (twitter.com)
  • "853 illegal aliens died trying to cross our southern border last year. Democrats don’t care. To them, illegal aliens are future democrat voters. This is cynical and immoral." (twitter.com)
  • "By keeping our borders open, President Biden is risking the safety of the heroes of the US Border Patrol." (twitter.com)
  • "Under Joe Biden’s leadership, we’ve seen the largest illegal immigration crisis in our nation’s history. Every single day, thousands of illegal aliens pour over our southern border and strain our communities. Women are being raped, children brutalized, and over 100,000 Americans are dying every year from narcotics and fentanyl flooding into our country. We cannot turn a blind eye to the perilous invitation the Biden White House continues to freely give out to break our immigration laws. Right now, we are at the greater risk for a major terrorist attack in the United States than we have been at any time since September 11. If we are going to provide aid to secure our allies abroad, we also have an obligation to secure our own border for the safety of our country." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • The Washington Post "Yes, we would report them. Of course you would. That's what ICE exists for. We have law enforcement that looks for people who are violating the laws that apprehends htem and deports them." (www.washingtonpost.com)
  • "853 illegal aliens died trying to cross our southern border last year. Democrats don’t care. To them, illegal aliens are future democrat voters. This is cynical and immoral." (twitter.com)
  • "President Biden and the Democrats are prioritizing illegal aliens over your kids. At the James Madison High School in New York, students have been forced to go back to remote learning because illegals are being housed in the gym of the school. I've introduced the Schools Not Shelters Act that will cut off federal funding to any schools housing illegal aliens— I will always fight for your children's education." (twitter.com)
  • The Hill "I do not believe we should be granting a path to citizenship to anybody here illegally. Doing so is inconsistent with the promises we made to the men and women who elected us." (thehill.com)
  • "The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was intended to ensure that America had sufficient oil reserves in the event of an emergency. Instead, Joe Biden sold a portion of this critical national security asset to the Chinese Communist Party while the CCP is stockpiling oil for its own strategic use, and while Americans are paying higher and higher prices for fuel because of the Biden administration’s disastrous energy policies. The No Emergency Crude Oil for Foreign Adversaries Act would ensure this never happens again, banning SPR sales to China, North Korea, Iran and Russia, to ensure that our energy reserves are used for their real purpose: helping Americans." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "Lula da Silva’s corrupt embrace of China, Iran, and Russia is a threat to America and our allies in the region. The Biden administration has allowed him to violate what are supposed to be powerful sanctions meant to counter those threats." (twitter.com)
  • "The Biden State Department is giving a pass to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner from corruption sanctions. She’s a convicted kleptocrat who has been indicted for obstructing investigations into Iranian terrorism. The Kirchner criminal family has looted Argentina’s coffers. She may have immunity in Argentina but that doesn’t make her exempt from sanctions laws passed by Congress." (twitter.com)
  • "The Biden administration has allowed tens of BILLIONS of dollars to flow towards Iran in the last two and a half years. They have waived and simply not enforced sanctions. These funds went to arm and pay for Hamas’s war on Israel." (twitter.com)
  • Voted against HR 6833 "Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023" (None)
  • "In recent years, Americans have begun to understand that China is working relentlessly to systematically undermine American national security, including through social media companies like TikTok that function as platforms for propaganda and censorship, as well as for gathering information on Americans. The CCP undoubtedly sees the enormous power American social media companies wield in manipulating our politics and elections. It has already shown its own willingness to block dissenting views and censor all media that threatens to reveal to the world the harms of its authoritarian rule and its systematic human rights atrocities. The only explanation for its position, then, is that it seeks to exercise some of the same power, and same influence, more directly here in the United States, with the goal being to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think. That is why any deal that fails to address all national security concerns, including data security and the ability for the CCP to engage in the destructive and manipulative practices of large American tech companies should be outright rejected. I urge the Administration to take all deliberate action necessary to protect Americans and American interests in this matter, to carefully consider the proposed transaction, and to insist on an outright sale if that is what is necessary to protect American national security." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • "As opposed to a sale that could, with the right conditions, remove the CCP root and branch from TikTok, this planned partnership raises serious national security concerns. Indeed, reports indicate that other companies interested in purchasing ByteDance felt they were unable to address national security concerns under the conditions imposed by the Chinese government. It is hard to see how such a proposal can satisfy the spirit of the executive orders, and harder still to see how such an arrangement serves American interests." (www.cruz.senate.gov)
  • CNBC Television "Look Tik Tok is controlled by the Chinese government, and it is deliberately used to spread propaganda, and to undermine America. I think its a serious threat to our country." (www.youtube.com)

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