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Sen. Cruz: Alfie Evans Crisis Is a Consequence of Socialized Medicine

Discusses Alfie Evans’ right to life, President Macron’s joint address, legislative efforts to make tax cuts permanent, and NAFTA renegotiations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) appeared on WOAI’s ‘The Joe Pags Show,’ where he discussed his concern for the well-being of Alfie Evans who is being denied medical treatment by the courts of the United Kingdom. Excerpts from his interview are below. Other topics included French President Emmanuel Macron’s joint session address to Congress, Sen. Cruz's legislative efforts to make tax cuts permanent for hardworking middle-class families, and the progress of NAFTA renegotiations. 

“It is truly heartbreaking. Alfie Evans is a two-year-old child who was born in May of 2016, and he has an illness, he has been in a coma, and he’s been on a ventilator. Italy has offered to take him in, there is experimental treatment that could save his life, and his parents want to try to save their son’s life. And the United Kingdom is refusing to let the parents try to save their son’s life. They are saying ‘No, he must die.’ In fact, the United Kingdom courts ordered the ventilator to be removed. They removed the ventilator two days ago, and the doctors predicted that he would die within minutes. Well, it’s been two days and little Alfie continues to breath without the ventilator, but every minute he is at risk of passing away. You want to understand the consequence of socialized medicine, of the government controlling your relationship with your doctor – and you’re seeing it in the United Kingdom. The government is saying, ‘You mom and dad, cannot save or try to save your son’s life.’ The Italian hospital has said that they want to treat this child, they want to save this child, and what the United Kingdom is saying, ‘No, your son must die and we’re going to stop you from trying to save his life.’ There’s a reason that the Pope has personally intervened saying ‘Let us save this precious gift.’” 

Sen. Cruz continued, highlighting the consequences of socialized medicine and governments mandating healthcare choices for individuals.

“The United Kingdom, the British court said, ‘We control the national health system, we’ve determined that we are cutting off the ventilator, and we’re not going to let you choose anything else.’ And that is the predictable and often inevitable consequence of socialized medicine, of the government being in charge of the medicine. […] So, I would encourage your listeners to join Heidi and me in praying for little Alfie and lifting him up in prayer, but also calling on the government of the United Kingdom to stop blocking the rights of the parents to try to save their son.”

Audio from the interview may be found here

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