Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (born December 22, 1970) is the junior U.S. Senator from Texas. A Republican, Cruz was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and is the first Hispanic American to serve as a U.S. senator representing Texas. He is the chairman of the subcommittee on the Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He is also the chairman of the United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. On March 23, 2015, Cruz announced during a rally at Liberty University he would run for the Republican Party nomination in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.
Between 1999 and 2003, Cruz was the director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission, an associate deputy attorney general at the United States Department of Justice, and domestic policy advisor to President George W. Bush on the 2000 George W. Bush presidential campaign. He served as Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to May 2008, after being appointed by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. He was the first Hispanic, the youngest and the longest-serving solicitor general in Texas history. Cruz was also an adjunct professor of law at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, from 2004 to 2009. While there, he taught U.S. Supreme Court litigation Cruz is one of three Senators of Cuban descent.
Cruz was the Republican nominee for the Senate seat vacated by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. On July 31, 2012, he defeated Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst in the Republican primary runoff, 57% ‐ 43%. Cruz defeated former state Representative Paul Sadler in the general election on November 6, 2012. He prevailed 56% ‐ 41% over Sadler. Cruz openly identifies with the Tea Party movement and has been endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus. On November 14, 2012, Cruz was appointed vice-chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Senator Cruz believes in reducing the size and scope of the federal government and returning much power to the states, citing the tenth amendment to the constitution. He believes in moving the nation to a flat tax, and adding a "business flat tax", which is similar to, but not exactly, a Value Added Tax. He has claimed his tax policy would eliminate the need for the Internal Revenue Service, and allow citizens to file their taxes on the back of a postcard. He generally supports reforms to Social Security and Medicare to keep the programs sound. He supports traditional marriage and is an evangelical Christian.
Senator Cruz strikes a balance between interventionism and isolationism in his rhetoric. He is strongly against the Iran Nuclear Deal, and expresses doubts about the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.
Senator Cruz has expressed the need to bolster military spending and increase the strength of the armed forces. He has come out against the deployment of significant number of ground troops into the Middle East to fight ISIS and stablize the region, but has supported bombing ISIS positions until we can see 'if sand can glow in the dark'.
Senator Cruz has come out strongly against illegal immigration, calling for an increase of border security including thousands of additional border patrol agents and the construction of a wall. He is entirely against amnesty for those here illegally, and does not support a path to legal status or citzenship.
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