ICYMI: Sen. Cruz: GOP Tax Cuts Will Bring Jobs Back to America and Raise Wages

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today appeared on KTSA’s Jack Riccardi Show, where he discussed the major, historic tax reform legislation President Trump recently signed into law, the growing threat of a nuclear North Korea, and the recent protests in Iran, among other topics.

When asked about tax reform and his efforts on behalf of Texas, Sen. Cruz highlighted the key victories included in the tax bill, and his commitment to delivering on the promises made to the American people.

“I am proud that Republicans came together at the end of last year on a major tax cut. A tax cut that’s going to benefit small businesses, and farmers, and ranchers. A tax cut that’s going to benefit young people, that’s going to benefit parents, that’s going to benefit working men and women. A tax cut designed to bring more jobs back to America, to bring manufacturing jobs back to America, to raise wages. That’s what we were elected to do: to do our jobs. We managed to do it even with our fractious, divided conference. And what I’m spending every waking moment doing, both in 2018, just like in 2017, is trying to bring our Republicans together, trying to get us on one page, to deliver on the promises we made. We still got a lot of work to do, and even with a narrow majority, we’ve got to get the job done.” 

Sen. Cruz continued, highlighting the fights he has led on behalf of Texans.

“I promised the people of Texas in 2012, that if you elected me, I would fight with every breath in my body to defend freedom, and to defend the Constitution. And I think if you look at the battles in the Senate, one after the other, after the other, whether when Obama was president, or this past year when President Trump was president, I think you will find that I have been front and center, leading those fights each and every time. Whether it was leading the fight against Obamacare, which I’ve done from day one. Whether it was leading the fight to secure the border, and stop amnesty, and build a wall, which I’ve done from day one. Whether it is leading the fight on Kate’s Law. I introduced Kate’s Law, named after the beautiful Kate Steinle, 32 year old woman who was murdered in San Francisco by a repeat illegal alien with multiple criminal convictions. Who kept coming in illegally over, and over, and over again, kept getting released over, and over, and over again, and finally killed that beautiful, young woman. Kate’s Law provides that if an illegal alien with an aggravated felony comes in a second time, there is a mandatory minimum prison sentence so that individual would have been in prison, and Kate Steinle would still be alive.”

Sen. Cruz continued emphasizing two of five major victories he secured for the American people in the last year. 

“Under President Trump last year, leading the fight to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Leading the fight to confirm strong, constitutionalist to the federal courts, including two, just a few weeks ago to the Fifth Circuit covering Texas. Leading the fight to pass this tax reform, including within it, the first major and the most significant federal school choice legislation in history. It was my amendment that was introduced. It passed 50-50 [votes] with the Vice President breaking the tie, that takes College 529 Savings Plans, and now allows not only can you save for college, you can now save for K-12 education, you can use them to pay for public school, for private school, for parochial school, for religious school. Every parent can spend up to $10,000, per child, per year, from a tax advantaged 529. That is a record I believe of delivering on the promises I made to the people of Texas, of standing and fighting each and every day for the principles I promised I’d fight for.”

When asked about the national security interests of the United States, Sen. Cruz discussed the danger of a nuclear North Korea and Iran. 

“What moves us closer to a war is the fact that Kim Jong-un has nuclear weapons, is developing ICBM technology, and has declared his intention to attack the United States of America. That is a profoundly dangerous situation. The reason Kim Jong-un has nuclear weapons, and that we have this danger in the first place, is because of the grave mistakes of the Clinton administration.”

Sen. Cruz continued, “Obama did the exact same thing with Iran - putting us on the same path for the Ayatollah Khamenei to have nuclear weapons. The real answer to take away from this is there are dangerous nations and dangerous people in the world, and the best way to keep America safe is prevent them from getting the weapons that could be used to murder millions of Americans.”

When asked about the peaceful protests in Iran, Sen. Cruz praised the courage and bravery of the Iranian people standing up against the oppressive regime. 

“We have a moment here that could be extraordinarily consequential. You’ve got thousands, upon thousands of people taking to the streets in Iran, risking their lives. Risking their lives to stand up against the dictatorial Islamic Republic. They want freedom. They want to be with the West. They want to be free from oppression.”

Sen. Cruz continued, “Some of the images that are among the most powerful, is there are women standing up, pulling off their hijab, pulling off their veil, their face mask, and standing in the public square holding it up. Bravery is not walking around in a pink hat yelling at people. Bravery is standing in the public square, saying, ‘I, a woman, will not be oppressed. Will show my face in public,’ and those women who are doing it are quite literally risking torture and death. If the government - if the Ayatollah - captures them, they will use those images to convict them, and in all likelihood sentence them to at a minimum torture, and more likely death. This is an extraordinary moment. There would be no change on the international scene that would be better for U.S. national security interests than for the Ayatollah and the mullah’s to fall, and for the Iranian people to be freed from their despotism, and return to the situation of Iran being a friend of the United States, rather than led by a homicidal religious zealots and maniacs.”

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