This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in 2016. This blog focuses on Ted Cruz.
Ted Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to an American mother and a Cuban father. Ted Cruz has since renounced his Canadian citizenship. He was Solicitor General for the state of Texas from 2003-2008. Ted Cruz was first elected as a Texas Senator in 2012. You might recall him reading “Green Eggs and Ham” on CSPAN during the government shutdown of 2013.
Health Care
According to his Senate website, Ted Cruz “has been a leading voice for repealing Obamacare”. He believes that “Congress should repeal Obamacare and 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”.
The Mayo Clinic points out that the money in an HSA is not taxed. It also points out that in order to open an HSA, a person has to have a high-deductible health insurance plan. The deductible must be paid off before the health plan will cover any medical expenses.
Women’s Health Care
According to his official website, Ted Cruz defended Texas’s Rider 8 in federal court. That law removed Medicaid and Title X reimbursement funding from Planned Parenthood clinics in the state of Texas. It prevented Planned Parenthood from being able to provide cancer screenings, pap smears, STD screenings and treatments, and contraception, to low-income women (and men).
Immigration
According to his official website, Ted Cruz “authorized legislation to triple the size of the U.S. Border Patrol. He also “authorized legislation to streamline and simplify our legal immigration system by consolidating segmented visas, creating real and transparent caps, eliminating the diversity visa lottery, and treating all immigrants equally by eliminating the per-country caps.”
Education
According to his Senate website, Ted Cruz believes that “school choice gives students more opportunities and improves public schools, making our schools stronger, more effective, and more accountable to the communities they serve.”
He is opposed to Common Core. His reasoning is “because education decisions should be made on the state and local level, where parents and communities can be more involved and find solutions better suited to their kids’ needs.”
Jobs
According to his Senate website, Ted Cruz wants “to protect the Internet as a platform for innovation, defending it from job-killing taxes and regulations and the corrosive influence of undemocratic nations.” Ted Cruz also believes that the minimum wage act “kills jobs”.
Image by Gage Skidmore on Flickr.
Related Articles at Families.com:
* Focus on the Candidates – Ben Carson
* Focus on the Candidates – Chris Christie
* Focus on the Candidates – Marco Rubio